The Big Umbrella

2018, Simon & Schuster, Books for Young Readers

"By the door...
there is an umbrella.

It is big.

It is a big, friendly umbrella.

It likes to help."

---

Amy June Bates, co-written with Juniper Bates

Bates is the illustrator of over 50 children's books and has worked with Kate DiCamillo, Jill Biden, and Amy Hest among many other authors. The Big Umbrella is Bates authorial debut alongside her 11-year-old daughter, Juniper. They came up with the idea for the story while sharing an umbrella in a rainstorm. Juniper said in a 2018 interview she wants "kids to know that no matter who you are the umbrella will always accept you."

---

Book Synopsis

There is a Big Umbrella by the door which loves to help!  It is so big that there will always be room enough for everyone. And it doesn't matter if you are tall, plaid, hairy - nor how many feet you might have.

---

Picture book, 40 pages. The Big Red Umbrella waits by the door, ready to cover everyone who needs shelter from the rain.

Learning Options

Family Read Aloud Time
A wonderfully gentle allegory illustrated with lush watercolor and gouache. This is a lovely story to read over and over again with young children.

Classroom Resource
The Big Umbrella is a great resource for building classroom community! Create a large red umbrella bulletin board where students can add raindrops & galoshes to represent how community works to protect everyone from harm.

Learning at Home
Children love to read about objects or animals who do great things! This is a good book for early reading practice, as well as discussions concerning inclusion.

---