Any Port In A Storm! The Green Umbrella by Jackie Azua Kramer

One rainy day, Elephant was taking a walk with his green umbrella.

Along came a hedgehog. "Excuse me," said Hedgehog. "I believe you have my boat."

"Your WHAT?" said Elephant.

Hedgehog explains that in an upside-down umbrella he actually sailed the deepest oceans, guided by the stars, and met many fine friends.

"I am sure you are mistaken. This is my umbrella," said Elephant.

But politely Elephant agrees that umbrellas can play several roles and offers Hedgehog a place under his to keep dry. The two walk on amiably, until they meet a cat, who also seems to have a claim on Elephant's green umbrella.

"Excuse me. I believe you have my tent!" says Cat.

Elephant graciously agrees that umbrellas lend themselves to many uses, adding that he has often used his umbrella as a pretend pirate sword, and invites Cat to join them underneath it.

In due course Elephant meets up with Bear and Rabbit, who also insist the the umbrella is their flying machine and walking cane respectively. The mannerly Elephant demurs, but invites them to seek shelter under his umbrella, and the five of them enjoy their walk, sharing their exciting exploits as they go.

The rain ends, and Elephant finds plenty of kindred souls and rainy-day fellow travelers to share snacks and shade under his big bumbershoot, in Jackie Azua Kramer's brand new The Green Umbrella(North/South Books, 2018), which ends, as all rainy day stories should, with a sunny good time for a bunch of new friends. Author Kramer takes her readers along under the big green umbrella for some flights of fancy under its shelter, very ably assisted by the exotic landscapes in appropriately watery vistas conjured up by artist Mara Sossouni. As Publishers Weekly sums it all up: "Kramer’s storytelling passages sustain their lofty tone with no off notes—no easy task."

Great for rainy-day read-alouds, along with Amy June Bates' The Big Umbrella. (Read review here.)