Reviewed by Jacob R LaMar for Readers' Favorite

Ella’s Umbrella is a children’s book written by Courtney Shannon Strand and illustrated by Jennica Lounsbury. The book clocks in at a vibrant 33 pages that tell the story of young Ella as she goes out in the rain with her bright red umbrella. Through the course of the book, Ella has fun splishing and splashing through the puddles and must traverse the strong winds and lightning storms that come her way. In the end, she emerges unharmed and just about as smiley as she was at the beginning.

Ella’s Umbrella is a wonderful book that enticed me to read it at least five times due to its well-written text and stunning visuals. Strand has unearthed a diamond in the rough with her character Ella’s infectious joy for life. I also relished the abundant use of onomatopoeias throughout the story and the lyrical feel of the text. Lounsbury does a magnificent job of capturing the nature of the book with vivid illustrations that are bursting with character. Together Strand and Lounsbury prove they have perfect chemistry with this book and I hope to see more from this duo in the future.

In style, Ella’s Umbrella reminds me of a less wacky version of a Dr. Seuss story. There isn’t much of a message to take from it and why should there be. It accomplishes its main goal in spades which is making young readers smile. Can there be a more worthy cause in a book? I would recommend Ella’s Umbrella to children, parents, grandparent or anyone else that just loves to smile. Ella’s Umbrella by Courtney Shannon Strand will help you do that.