The Umbrella House
The Umbrella House
I opened the drawer and pulled out the box of photos. These were all from the days when phones didn’t come with cameras. Most of the pictures had a date on the back, but they weren’t in any order. I sifted through them. There were tons! Since visuals were Scout’s job, I decided to take the whole box to him. I checked to make sure I had everything and spotted a file folder at the back of the drawer. Inside were news-paper articles—perfect for research! The first headline caught my attention. It was from a New York Times article from 2002: “Midnight Muralist or Village Vandal: East Village Mural Appears to Cheers and Jeers.” The photo beside the article showed a mural of a Converse running shoe stomping a bag of money.
Dubbed the Midnight Muralist by some and the Village Vandal by others, the graffiti artist’s latest piece was discovered this morning, signed with a trademark crescent moon. Reaction from local residents was overwhelmingly positive. Not so from the mayor, who repeated that private property is no place for graffiti.
This was exactly the kind of information I needed. If we were going to do a video about our neighborhood, we needed to include something on the Midnight Muralist.
Twelve-year-old best friends, Scout and Ruby, have their own local affairs YouTube Channel, utilizing Scout’s gift as photographer and Ruby’s passion for journalism. When a contest offered by Ruby’s idol, reporter Evelyn Paul of Veracity News, is announced inviting short video submissions on important issues, they are eager to participate.
A topic soon presents itself when their co-op building, Umbrella House, in NY’s East Village is threatened with demolition while their old haunts are to be gentrified. With tight time constraints, the children interview local inhabitants, video the area and track down old photos and articles. Amongst the latter, they find clippings about the mysterious artist, the Midnight Muralist. These lead the children to discover the identity of the Muralist, which, in turn provides them with an ultimate solution for saving their building.
Featuring two young people with lots of initiative and a mature appreciation of their community, The Umbrella House is a compelling read. Scout and Ruby are well-developed characters; Scout is less confident than Ruby, but both are equally talented, thoughtful and committed. A believable cast of eccentric local characters brings wisdom, encouragement and a variety of skills and memories to aid the children with their film. The unique charm of the East Village is clearly shown, revealing its history, vitality, artistry and the relationship between local businesses and residents.
While, of course, there is some poetic license in the speed and satisfactory outcome, The Umbrella House is a fast paced read that is both enjoyable and encouraging. With a little mystery, a lot of love, some endearing characters, a portrait of a traditional part of New York and a triumph of community over greed The Umbrella House will appeal to children aged 8-12.
Aileen Wortley is retired Children’s Librarian from Toronto, Ontario.