Umbrella Queen Book

When Noot is finally allowed to paint umbrellas like the other women and girls in her village, she secretly hopes that she might be chosen as this year's Umbrella Queen. Carefully, she creates serene flowers and butterflies exactly as she has seen her mother and grandmother do for years.

But soon her imagination takes over, and Noot finds herself straying from the old patterns, to the dismay of her family, who depend on the traditionally painted umbrellas for their livelihood.

Her parents tell her she must go back to the old designs and Noot obeys, knowing that the King is coming soon to name the one who has painted the most beautiful umbrella. After all, the King would never choose a queen who breaks from tradition . . . would he?

Children's Literature

This story offers many threads that can help young children understand the complexity of what it means to appreciate and to celebrate the fact that we are, in many ways, the same and, in many ways, different. The story is set in a small village in Thailand, where the economy depends on the skills with which the men make umbrellas and the women hand paint designs that will attract buyers. Little Noot is eager to join her mother in painting, but she is taken by the idea of doing elephants instead of the flowers and butterflies that are traditional. Under pressure, she paints as she is told. But on her own, Noot makes tiny umbrellas decorated with dancing elephants. When the King comes to choose who will be the Umbrella Queen, he awards the prize to Noot's unique vision. For an eight-year-old whom I know, this was a wonderfully inspiring tale that helped her understand that you need to pay attention both to what is important to your community and to what is important to you as an individual. Taeeun Yoo's pen and ink illustrations work well to make the story accessible. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry