Silk Umbrellas [Paperback]

Carolyn Marsden (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

"A sensitive portrayal of a family in Thailand. . . . This gracefully told story will resonate with many young readers." — BOOKLIST (starred review)

Eleven-year-old Noi is learning to paint like her grandmother. She and her older sister, Ting, spend many rapt hours in the jungle watching as Kun Ya paints delicate silk umbrellas to sell at the market. But one day Kun Ma and Kun Pa announce that Ting must start working at a local radio factory to help support the family. As the days and weeks pass, Noi anxiously sees her own fate reflected in her sister’s constricting world. Can Noi find a way to master her fear of failure and stand up for her gift — and Kun Ya’s tradition — before the future masters her?

An American Library Association Top Ten Art Book for Youth Selection

A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year

Two starred reviews (BOOKLIST, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6--Noi, 11, lives in a small village in Thailand with her parents, her grandmother, and her older sister. Her carefree life, filled with family and school, is changing as farmland is sold to developers, costing her father his job. Money is scarce, and the girl is stunned when Ting is sent to work in a factory. Her horror grows when she visits her sister at her job one day and realizes that this might be her destiny as well. Noi, however, has other plans. She has been helping her grandmother, who paints silk umbrellas to sell at the market and knows that she has a talent. The interaction between Noi and Kun Ya, who teaches her how to paint with her entire body and mind, is beautiful, and reminiscent of Linda Sue Park's A Single Shard (Clarion, 2001). As the characters go about their daily tasks, facing hardships and illness, but sharing their love, the story blends details about food preparation, modes of travel, work, and the celebration of a special holiday, presenting a real sense of this distant place. The Thai words sprinkled throughout the text are clear in context and also defined in a glossary. A simple but inspiring story of a child with talent, desire, and belief in herself.--Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 3-6. Marsden's first novel, The Gold-Threaded Dress (2002), concerned a Thai family living in America; her latest book offers a sensitive portrayal of a family in Thailand. The land Noi's father has farmed is sold for vacation houses, and the loss of income means that her 15-year-old sister, Ting, must work in a radio factory, though the work is hard on her eyes. Eleven-year-old Noi, who has a gift for painting, hopes to learn to decorate umbrellas to be sold in the tourist market. When her mother can no longer sell her sewing, Ting's future depends on whether Noi's talent can enable her to earn enough money to help support her family. In simple, lucid prose, Marsden tells a story that is foreign in detail and texture but universal in appeal. The community's weather, customs, and beliefs are reflected in the observant Noi's quiet narrative, but more fundamental is her love for each family member, her concern for their livelihood, and her longing to contribute to the family's fortunes in her own way. The few Thai words appearing in the text are generally understandable from context; they are also translated in the appended glossary. A short novel in a small, well-designed package, this gracefully told story will resonate with many young readers. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763633763
• ISBN-13: 978-0763633769
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,168,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carolyn Marsden grew up in Mexico City and Southern California. Although she wrote for adults for many years, she began to write for children after the birth of her daughters. She attended Vermont College and earned an MFA in Writing for Children. Her first book, The Gold-Threaded Dress, published by Candlewick, was a Booklist Top Ten Youth Novel of 2002. Her second novel, Silk Umbrellas, was a Texas Bluebonnet nominee and Booklist Top Ten Art Novel of 2003. Since then, Carolyn has published several more award-winning middle grade chapter books with Candlewick and Viking, almost all with multicultural themes. The Buddha's Diamonds was a Southern California Booksellers Association finalist and a Booklist Top Ten Religion Novel of 2008. Sahwira: An African Friendship, is set in what is now Zimbabwe. Take Me With You was a Booklist Top Ten Historical Novel of 2010 and a Booklist Top Ten Religious Novel of 2010. Carolyn's latest book, Starfields (Candlewick 2011), touches on the 2012 prophesy. Her next book, The White Zone, is set in contemporary Iraq and will be released by Carolrhoda in February 2012. Carolyn lives with her Thai husband and two half-Thai daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars slim read with big ideas, June 16, 2004

By 

Peggy (Zionsville, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silk Umbrellas (Hardcover)

Silk Umbrellas is a revealing commentary on our changing world, for these changes are happening everywhere, not only in Thailand. It is also a tender story of a young girl, glimpsing a future with eyes learning to see reality. I read it in preparation for an upcoming trip to Thailand, and am enriched by it. Only one question for the author: where does the family get the umbrellas? Now I want a sequel: The Umbrella-Makers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect for readers of all ages, May 18, 2004

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silk Umbrellas (Hardcover)

Noi's grandmother is an artist who paints beautiful designs on silk umbrellas and sells them at the market near their rural Thai home. Eleven-year-old Noi also longs to be an artist, and when her grandmother lets Noi add small designs to the umbrella, she seems to have natural talent: "The flit of the butterflies moved into her, then out into the brush, so the paint seemed to lay itself down."

When Noi's family falls on hard times, though, and Noi's older sister Ting is sent to work making radios at the factory, Noi fears that she, too, will be sent to work when she finishes school in just a few months. When Noi sees the stifling environment of the factory, she grows even more desperate to avoid this fate and asks her grandmother to help her learn how to paint. In secret, Noi creates dozens of decorated umbrellas, inspired by the flora, fauna and colors of the landscape. When her grandmother grows ill, will Noi be able to paint umbrellas beautiful enough to help support her family?

Set against the background of preparations for the harvest festival of Loy Krathong, SILK UMBRELLAS is not only the story of the birth of an artist, but also a loving portrayal of Thai nature and culture. Careful readers will notice subtle commentaries on the changing economic conditions in Thailand. Electronics factories replace traditional crafts; Noi's father weaves fishing baskets, not for fishermen but for Western tourists.

SILK UMBRELLAS is a slim novel that can nevertheless be read on several levels. Younger readers will enjoy witnessing Noi's artistic development and learning about Thai customs, and older readers will also grasp the larger cultural commentary in Carolyn Marsden's sensitively written novel.

---(...)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Gift Book to Inspire Kids. Great for Classrooms, Too, April 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Silk Umbrellas (Hardcover)

Marsden succeeds again with her second novel, Silk Umbrellas. It gently transports us to the world of a rural Thai girl whose artistic sensibilities are emerging even as she struggles with her family's survival issues. The descriptions of how she forms images in her mind, paints the umbrellas, and gains confidence as an artist are sure to appeal to young artists worldwide. The compelling story and details of present-day, rural life in Thailand make this story worthy of classroom study. It would be a cultural eye opener for many American children and is sure to spark discussion. Parents will want the book for home use, too-kids will treasure this inspiring read.