By Heather Brockman Lee
Published by Harper
Mom's Review
Poppy is a story about a little girl who loses her comfort object and manifests bravery in order to find it, only to come out changed at the end of her journey. Little Poppy takes Umbrella everywhere with her, but when a strong wind whips it our of her hand, she must brave the wind, rain, and sun without protection. As she seeks her umbrella, Poppy realizes that some of the elements have enjoyable aspects, so when she finds her umbrella again, she continues to enjoy the variable weather with the umbrella as a companion, not a shield.
An umbrella as a comfort object was a new one for me. I like the novelty of it because not every kid has a blankie or a bear. Lee has deftly shifted the focus from the item itself to Poppy's feelings and experience without the item. In the end, readers see that Poppy finds a balance for herself and doesn't need to abandon Umbrella just because she has managed an experience without it. Poppy is a sweet story that validates children's relationships with their special comfort objects while also encouraging them to experience the world with out with the object as they are comfortable.
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