When Elephant comes upon a big red umbrella, he has no idea what it is. He tries in vain to use it—to fly, to float, to hide behind—but it’s only when it begins to rain that he figures out the true purpose of the “thingamabob.” Il Sung Na’s whimsical illustrations were made using Adobe Photoshop to layer various painted textures. He cleverly uses understatement and shifting perspectives to show the beginnings and endings of each of Elephant’s experiments with the umbrella. Even the youngest listeners will be likely to know what the thingamabob is, and will enjoy Elephant’s perception of it as something exotic and unusual. (Ages 2–5)