Amélie Callot

Oh my goodness. I want this book. Oh I want this book so so much.

It's SO sweet. In large part, I chalk that up to Genevieve Godbout's illustrations. They are my absolute favorite. I love the character of Adele that she brought to life. I love how Adele owns a shop in her small town and is a ray of light to people. I appreciated the subtle hints to seasonal affective disorder and how she longs for sun.....but a friend's kindness of pink rain boots, a rain coat, and a beautiful umbrella, help her find some happiness.

Oh seriously, this book is a must own for me. SO glad it has been translated from French into English!… (mehr)

Adele is the sweet owner of The Polka-Dot Apron café, a gathering place for locals to not only grab a bite to eat but also a location for other important town activities, like the weekly fresh produce market on Wednesdays. Everyone loves Adele because she is so kind-spirited and exudes such warmth and energy. But everyone also knows that Adele doesn't like the rain and her mood dampens whenever it arrives. So imagine her surprise when one perfectly lovely, sunny market Wednesday, Adele finds a pair of pink rainboots left behind that just happen to fit her perfectly ... followed by a pink raincoat the following week ... and then a pink umbrella the week after! Who is the source of these unexpected items?

I'm not sure that I expected to ever find a romance between two adults in a children's picture book, let alone one so well done and enjoyable. This book is perfectly lovely, a pinch of real sugar and nothing saccharine. While adults will clearly recognize a romantic gesture, youngsters might simply take away an act of kindness in giving back to those who give so much. Either is a good message. The gentle illustrations fit the story and whimsical tone of the book perfectly. As this book is a tad bit on the longer side, I would suggest it's better for elementary school-age children than preschoolers.… (mehr)

The Pink Umbrella is a beautiful story about a woman named Adele. She runs the cafe in a small village. She is the sun in the village, which is appropriate because she does not like it when it rains. Sometimes, she does not even get out of bed on dismal, gray, rainy days. One day someone leaves her pink boots, then a pink raincoat and finally a pink umbrella to help her deal with the rainy days. The illustrations are wonderfully done, almost like a water wash with muted tones and shades of pink along with other primary colours. The expressions on the character's faces show what they are feeling, especially towards Adele. The story shows how friendship is important and grows with thoughtfulness. The only thing I did not like about this book was the first part. It seemed to take a long time to introduce the characters and the village. This story would not work well with young children, but definitely late primary would enjoy it and understand the message of kindness, thoughtfulness and caring about others and your friends. A good addition to a school or public library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.… (mehr)

A super sweat story with lovely illustrations about Adele a cafe owner in a small village. I would hang some of these pages on my walls if I could. Not only are the illustrations beautiful they are very emotive. The story is one of love and caring and helping others overcome the unpleasant things in their lives. There is a subtle romance in the book, one that is charming and true. The kind of romance between two friend you might find in real life. A romance that might go unnoticed by the youngest readers, but will put a smile in the hearts of adult readers.

"For the villagers, the cafe is a refuge, a small lantern always lit... The cafe is the heart of the village.And Adele is the heart of the cafe. She is the village's sun - lively, sweet and sparkling."

I highly recommend this book, and hope to see a trend of books like this.… (mehr)