The Elephant's Umbrella

The Elephant's Umbrella is a picture book for children aged 4 to 9 about an elephant who loves to share his umbrella, and an umbrella who chooses who she belongs to.

Whenever it rains, the elephant opens his umbrella and walks out into the rain, proudly inviting anyone he meets to shelter under it with him. One day, while he is asleep, the wind sweeps the umbrella away and gives it to the leopard, who would take it hunting and then sit under it. Then the wind carries it to the bear, who would take the bees' honey and sit under the umbrella to eat it all by himself. Each time, the umbrella asks where they would take her when it rains, and each time she refuses to belong to them and chases after the wind.

When it starts to rain again, the umbrella looks everywhere for the elephant, and finds him looking for her. He is overjoyed, and runs straight back into the rain to share her with everyone he sees.

It is a simple tale about generosity: the leopard and the bear think only of themselves, while the elephant uses what he has to shelter his friends, and finds happiness in sharing. Written by Laleh Jaffari, illustrated by Ali Khodai and published by Tiny Owl, it takes about three minutes to read aloud and is music-free.

The elephant loved his umbrella. Whether it drizzled or poured, he would open his umbrella and walk out into the rain, proud to ask anybody he saw to join him under it.

One day, while the elephant was sleeping, the wind swept his umbrella away and gave it to the leopard. As soon as the leopard saw the umbrella, he said, "What a lovely umbrella! Will you be mine?"

"If I become yours," asked the umbrella, "where will you take me when it rains?"

"I'll take you hunting with me," said the leopard proudly. "I'll hunt anybody I see, and then I'll sit under you."

"Oh no," replied the umbrella. "I'll certainly not belong to you." And she chased after the wind, calling, "Take me with you!"

The wind took the umbrella to the bear. As soon as the bear saw the umbrella, he said, "What a lovely umbrella! Will you be mine?"

"If I become yours," asked the umbrella, "where will you take me when it rains?"

"I'll take you to the bees," said the bear. "I'll take their honey, and then I'll sit under you and eat all that honey by myself."

"No, no," replied the umbrella. "I'll certainly not belong to you." And she chased after the wind again.

It was just starting to rain again, and the umbrella looked everywhere for the elephant. At last she spotted him, looking for her. She spun over his head so that he could see her, and the elephant was overjoyed. He ran into the rain and asked anybody he saw to join him under his umbrella.