Four Umbrellas, One Stop
Children waiting for a bus rearrange four umbrellas so no one stands in the rain.
Read together at your own pace. Pausing, rereading, or stopping is always okay.
At the bus stop, four umbrellas opened like flowers. Under them stood four children, each with plenty of dry space. Then Eli arrived without an umbrella and squeezed beneath the narrow shelter, where rain still dripped through a crack.
Everyone noticed Eli, but each umbrella seemed too small for another person. Sana stepped out and looked from above. The umbrellas overlapped in some places and left empty gaps in others.
They formed a close half-circle, tilted the umbrellas outward, and made a dry space in the middle. Sleeves touched, backpacks bumped, and everyone had to walk together when the bus appeared.
No umbrella had grown wider. The children had simply stopped treating each dry circle as a private island. On the bus, five damp shoes lined up beneath one long seat.
Story workshop
Notice, talk, and play
Words to notice
- shelter
- a place that protects from weather
- overlapped
- covered part of the same space
- private
- meant for one person or group only
Talk about the story
- Why did the first umbrella arrangement waste space?
- What did Sana notice from outside?
- What small inconvenience came with sharing?
Try it together
Place paper circles on a table. Rearrange them to cover five counters with the least uncovered space, then explain your pattern.
Activities are designed for shared use. An adult should choose materials and supervision appropriate to the child.
Keep reading
More from this story world
The Two-Handle Basket
A heavy garden basket becomes easier when Imani and Leo stop pulling in different directions.
Open this book
Pepper and the Last Blue Tile
Two friends both need the last blue tile, so they look for the reasons behind their plans.
Open this book
The Apology with Boots On
Tess says sorry for ruining Noor’s mud village, then learns that a useful apology also helps repair the damage.
Open this book