The Floating Umbrella
There could be more than meets the eye
A whimsical tale about perspective - join Pearl the Panda and her animal friends on a hilarious adventure to uncover the bigger picture behind a mysterious umbrella floating innocently on a lake.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yoanne is a mother of two (generally) adorable little girls. She splits her time between being Disneyland chaperone, full time lawyer, immaculate household administrator and doting wife. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Sydney, Yoanne currently lives in Hong Kong with her family. This is her first book.
Yoanne and her illustrator, Hilda, go way back - they became friends during high school in Sydney.
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Yoanne is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators:
https://www.scbwi.org/members-public/yoanne-ho
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The Hong Kong Women in Publishing Society.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Born in Hong Kong and educated in Australia, Hilda is an Illustrator, award-winning Photographer, Project Manager, mother and wife all-in-one. As illustrator, her works often carry an element of silliness. Yet, beyond the comical style or playful puns, the drawings aim to deliver a (usually positive) message.
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This is her first collaboration with Yoanne and her first time illustrating for a children's book.
AWARDS
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1st Place Winner of the Feathered Quill Book Awards
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Feathered Quill Book Awards Judges' Comments:
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- Two words - Love it!
- Adorable, rhyme works perfectly, great message.
- The mystery will hold children's attention until the end of the story.
- I've seen other books with the "things aren't always the way they appear" message, but never one that was done as well as this one.
- Illustrations are excellent, colorful and vibrant.
- This book receives a score of a perfect 100! Great concept, well executed!
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The Floating Umbrella has won Gold / 1st place in the Children's Picture Book category of the 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards:
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Feathered Quill Book Awards 2019 Winners
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Red Ribbon Winner of the Wishing Shelf Awards
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REVIEWS
Clever, superbly illustrated and packed full of fun.
~The Wishing Shelf
"Firstly, let me begin by saying how much I enjoyed this wonderfully illustrated picture book. The writing style, often simple but always very, very visual, works perfectly for a picture book of this nature. Pacing is also excellent, the paragraphs never overly long, perfect for a restless child at bedtime.
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There was so much to enjoy here, whether it be the wonderfully playful language - big wow words such as 'SPLAT!' and 'whizzing by' - or the very clever twist at the end of the story. Also, the rhythm of the story is almost spot on, a very important aspect of a rhyming picture book.
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I must devote a little ink to discussing the drawings. They are, to be totally honest, superb. I always feel sad when I'm asked to comment on children books that look like a Disney film. Or that look so computer generated, they lack any heart and soul. Not so here. Charming, wonderfully colorful with characters that simply jump off the page. Hilda Fung, the illustrator, is a very talented lady.
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Who do I recommend this book to? Well, most children aged 3-7 would, I think, enjoy it. Any child who enjoys seeing sweetly drawn animals will particularly love it. Also, a child who enjoys a mystery will get a lot from this story as they try to work out what is really hiding behind the fence!
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Colorful with plenty happening to keep any child amused, this might prove very, very popular at bedtime."
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~ A 'Wishing Shelf' Book Review (www.thewsa.co.uk)
December 2018
Storybooks like this with a good concept and message are excellent for children to read and understand.
~ Readers' Favourite
"Pearl the Panda was on her way to play. It was a hot day and as she skipped by the lake she saw her friend Mike squinting through a fence. She walked up to Mike and peered through a hole and saw an umbrella floating in the sky. The sky was filled with stars. Pearl the Panda was surprised to see stars when it was afternoon and wondered where the moon was. Mike then jumped on Pearl and looked. He saw more umbrellas floating. It did not make any sense to them. Pat the Pony was passing by and they called her to see if there was anything more than what met their eyes. Read the story to find out what Pat and the others who came by saw.
The Floating Umbrella by Yoanne Ho is an adorable story that focuses on how each one perceives things they see in front of them. Each animal in the story sees a different thing while looking over the fence, and the message conveyed to young readers is excellent: good or bad, right or wrong, everything depends on how you see it. The illustrations are lively and colorful and they bring the story alive for readers with vivid characterizations that give the animals in the story an individuality and distinct personality each. Storybooks like this with a good concept and message are excellent for children to read and understand. It is an appealing bedtime story book and can be used in classrooms for interactive and fun sessions to help children understand how each one's perception can differ from the other."
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~ Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
December 2018
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https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-floating-umbrella
The Floating Umbrella is a Red Ribbon Winner of the 2018 Wishing Shelf Awards:
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"A sweet, cleverly written picture book. A Red Ribbon Winner and highly recommended." ~ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
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BOOKSHOPS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
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BOOKSHOPS
The Floating Umbrella will be available at selected bookshops in Hong Kong and various online platforms including Amazon, Bookazine, Kelly & Walsh, Hong Kong Book Centre, Swindon,
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If you have trouble finding The Floating Umbrella or would like to purchase it directly from this website, please send an email to yoanne.hilda@gmail.com.
BOOK LAUNCH
Official book launch was held in January 2019 at Bookazine - thank you to all who attended!