Parents' Guide to

Ella, of Course!

By Dawn Friedman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Bouncy read-aloud stars a spunky pig, of course.

Book Sarah Weeks Picture Book 2007
Ella, of Course! Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Ella is a natural-born problem solver but now she has a problem. How will she get through the dance recital without her beloved -- but problematic -- umbrella?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Spunky girls have become a happy standard in picture books in recent years, and Ella joins the genre wearing a pink dress -- but true to form, she also comes with lots of smarts. Parents will appreciate Ella's can-do attitude and general good humor, and kids will identify with her much-loved umbrella and the problems it inspires.

The author knows how to make a story a read-aloud delight, stocking the book with bouncy text, a suspenseful (in a preschool sense) plot, and fun repetition, from the "Whoosh ... click!" of the opening umbrella to the "Ella, of course!" of the title. The illustrations nicely complement the joyous text: The acrylic pictures have lots of action and a bright, saturated color with a soft, blended texture. Ella's spunk jumps off the page as she skips along with her trouble-making, blue-skies umbrella.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Ella's prodigious skills as a problem-solver. Can you think of a situation where you had to solve a problem by yourself? How did you solve it?

Book Details

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