For hundreds of years the village people who live high in the hills of Thailand have been making umbrellas, all of them painted by the women and girls. Noot has helped her father build the umbrellas and has helped her grandmother make the paper, but this year she begs her mother to help her paint the designs on the umbrellas. She proves herself worthy, but she soon tires of copying the traditional flowers and butterflies and begins to paint elephants. When the king arrives to choose the most beautiful umbrella and crown the Umbrella Queen at the New Year’s Day festivities, he chooses Noot’s umbrella because she paints from the heart. Full-color linoleum prints with pencil convey the setting. djg

When Noot is finally allowed to paint umbrellas like the other women and girls in her village, she secretly hopes that she might be chosen as this year's Umbrella Queen. Carefully, she creates serene flowers and butterflies exactly as she has seen her mother and grandmother do for years.

But soon her imagination takes over, and Noot finds herself straying from the old patterns, to the dismay of her family, who depend on the traditionally painted umbrellas for their livelihood.

Her parents tell her she must go back to the old designs and Noot obeys, knowing that the King is coming soon to name the one who has painted the most beautiful umbrella. After all, the King would never choose a queen who breaks from tradition . . . would he?