Under the umbrella

A drearily cold and wet morning is utter misery for a man who's running late while clinging to his black umbrella, which almost completely engulfs his head. Sharp, straight graphite lines depict the intense rainfall and wind, which forces the man into unnatural angles as he leans into the storm, amid gray, boxy houses. He's so busy grumbling that he almost doesn't notice the boy peering into the bright, warm window of the bakery, until a blustery wind launches his umbrella at the boy's feet. The rounded shapes and toasty colors of the bakery window are in sharp contrast to the stormy hues of the street, and the man's sour mood melts as he and the boy share a tart, which glows like a tiny sun under the umbrella and transforms the bleak morning into one of rich color. Though the rhyming lines are a bit clunky, the moody, stylish artwork is full of such expressive movement that it almost doesn't matter. Artistically inclined children will likely be charmed by this French import.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2017 Booklist

A grumpy man fights a rainstorm and other pedestrians but learns a lesson when his umbrella goes flying. Pithy poetry pairs with artful illustrations in this Canadian import, translated from the French. A dark double-page landscape of gray rooftops pelted with rain shows a swath of white light shading into yellow. In the upper right-hand corner is the couplet, "He grumbled at the raindrops / on the rooftops of the town." And in the next two-page spread, "He growled at the clouds / and at the crowds / that slowed him down." The wind is so strong the grumpy white man bends nearly double against it. In the distance is a patisserie with a red-and-white-striped awning and a little white boy staring, "entranced," into the window. The man sees none of this. A gust of wind sends his umbrella flying, and the little boy catches and returns it, immediately returning his attention to the window of treats. With just a moment's hesitation, the man hands the umbrella back to the boy, enters the shop, and buys a juicy raspberry tart for the boy. When he shares half of it with the man, the atmosphere beneath the umbrella is transformed to tropical sunlight. Arbona's fantastical illustrations play with perspective, shape, and pops of bright color that enliven scenes primarily composed of black, gray, and white. Buquet's text is translated into well-crafted verse by Woods. Memorable and instructive without a hint of didacticism. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.