_Umbrella_ was a sweet book about a young girl who eagerly longs for a rainy day so she can finally use the boots and umbrella that she was given as a gift, and I think this story speaks to the young, easily excited kid in all of us, reminding us not to let the little moments slip away too quickly. The nephew thought this was not so exciting and he gave it 2 stars. She’s not crazy about the art, but she enjoyed the story and gave it 3 stars. My niece understood a little about wanting to use something they receive as a gift as she is the queen of asking for interesting things. So they can read each other’s nation, but they can’t speak each other’s tongue unless they learn a new language. I find it so interesting that Japanese use the same characters as the Chinese, but it’s a different language. I also appreciate that there are a few Chinese characters given in the upper left corner on a few pages like the character for rain or summer to explore that language. I am the one needing a break from all the sun in the summer and a good rain helps with that. This is about a girl who receives an umbrella for her birthday and she can’t wait for it to rain. It looks like they use crayons with regular materials to create the art.

This is the most details I have seen Taro give in their work.

I need to know more about Taro are they a boy or girl? How do they come up with these ideas.

Crow Boy by Taro Yashima