The acoustic, compelling “plink, plink” played on the higher octaves of the piano appropriately sets the mood for paging through Yellow Umbrella, a wordless picture book packaged and designed to be read with an enclosed classical-style music CD. Originally published in South Korea, the volume is both delicate and handsome, with illustrator Jae Soo Liu presenting a high-rise view of colorful umbrellas carried by children on a rainy walk to school. The joyful hues multiply with each successive spread. Composer Dong II Sheen gracefully glides between rhythms throughout the 15 tracks here (a deep, persistent beat accompanies paintings that include a train; jaunty notes sprinkle other rain scenes), maintaining an overall happy tone.
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