July’s Title Pick for Children: The Blue Umbrella by Emily Ann Davison

My favourite bit in The Blue Umbrella is when it first starts to rain – suddenly, out of a clear blue sky, little drips at first but soon a downpour – and the little girl (who is telling the story) is sheltering under her sweet blue umbrella, which only just covers her. Her mum, meanwhile, is getting soaked – such a shame, I really like the mum’s outfit, and can imagine she was feeling really smart until the rain arrived to spoil everything. The little girl doesn’t yet know that her umbrella is magic, and, looking at her soggy mum, wonders ‘if she joined me (under the umbrella), would I end up getting wet?’ But she then asks her mum to come under anyway. Nothing is said about how kind this is, which somehow makes it even lovelier. I love the line, ‘we kept each other warm’ and how this leads immediately to the girl noticing how cold another family appears to be. Again follows the kind decision to share the umbrella, which they still don’t realise is magically growing to accommodate anyone who needs its shelter.

The illustrations are really beautiful, and full of life and detail. While you’re turning the pages and telling the story, there is plenty of opportunity to pause and look at all the individuals who come to shelter under the umbrella, one by one – the punk rocker sheltering under his ghetto blaster (you can have fun explaining that ancient bit of equipment to a child!), the very glamorous gossiping grannies, the frog enjoying the puddles. There’s lots of wonder about why each of these people are in the park, what they might be saying to each other under the umbrella, and especially about the old man who is the last to find shelter. Why doesn’t he move to come under the umbrella when he’s called? Is it that he really doesn’t believe he will fit? Or just that he’s really sad?

When a colleague recommended this lovely book for our 2026 Reader Bookshelf, she said, ‘it captures in a rather wonderful way what Shared Reading does in the creation of community and a shared inclusive space.’ We say our Shared Reading groups around the country are free, and for everyone – anyone can turn up and join in. The books we read in groups are like that too – allowing anyone who reads them space to think, feel, and make connections. And The Blue Umbrella is also a bit like absolutely ordinary magic that happens when we open a book and read aloud with a child, too – creating a sheltering, warm space, where you can share a story together.

It’s wonderful to have these excellent Reader reasons to appreciate The Blue Umbrella, but the book is best enjoyed on its own terms, for its beautifully told story and gorgeous pictures. We’re so lucky the author is coming to The Reader Bookshop for a Bedtime Story event – what a perfect chance to discover the delights of this book for the first, or 100^th, time!

By Frances Macmillan, Literature Engagement Lead