David Hernández Sevillano's deceptively simple text and Anuska Allepuz's clever use of perspective and space splendidly combine in the endearing Zebra's Umbrella.
When rainfall on the savanna catches a group of animals off guard, they inquire one by one if they can take shelter under Zebra's colorful umbrella. Zebra is generous with his space and continues to make room as the rain's intensity increases. At first the animals contentedly sip hot chocolate and enjoy "stories, riddles, games and songs" while waiting for the rain to subside.
Allepuz (The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker) cleverly uses the book's gutter to highlight sudden unspoken tension among the animals. A soaking Lion, positioned on the edge of the right page, approaches the group of fearful animals, placed at the edge of the left page. Zebra alleviates the uneasiness by setting a boundary: "You're getting wet. Come on under. But there will be no biting us!" The subsequent wordless full spread zooms in on Rhinoceros, Lion and Elephant, whose angled eyes and raised eyebrows reveal a mix of uncertainty and suspicion. When the perspective zooms back out, the animals are once again--safely--enjoying stories, riddles, games and songs. As the sun begins to shine, Lion smiles and questions Zebra, "Why is your umbrella so colorful?" Zebra's response is at once reassuring and surprising: "So you can find me when it's raining."
Sevillano and Allepuz use a combination of disparate creatures and subtle nods to predator and prey animals to model themes of generosity and acceptance in this sweet picture book. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms