Umbrella Thief is Sybil Wettasinghe’s most famous book. It was first published in 1956 with black and white illustrations. In 1986 Umbrella Thief with full-colour illustrations was first published in Japan and then in Sri Lanka. Since then it has been translated into 8 languages and published in 7 countries. In 1987 the children of Japan selected Umbrella Thief as the most popular children’s book. It has won many other awards. It is a book which collectors of Sybil Wettasinghe’s books must essentially own.