Under the Love Umbrella

“Up in the sky, among the stars/ There’s something you might not see.../ But over your head and just above/ There’s an umbrella of my love” begins this import, a gentle poem of affirmation. With a comforting lilt, Bell narrates a message of unshakable connectedness and belonging. Four children (named on the title page but not otherwise referenced) are shown in uncomfortable or uncertain circumstances—“Your pants are wet/ You’re meant to hurry”—all dissipated by a caretaker’s “love umbrella.” Colpoys’s painterly yet understated illustrations—in a palette of lilacs, fluorescent oranges and pinks, and earth tones—render characters, alone and in community, in a range of skin tones. For an amusing plus, the authors invite readers to seek and find umbrellas throughout the pleasing spreads. An ageless reminder, tenderly composed. Ages 3–6. [em](Jan.) [/em]