I purchased the Stephen Joseph umbrella in the owl design after purchasing the matching rainjacket and rainboots.  The entire ensemble is just too darn cute!  What I  had not noticed about the umbrella but was pleasantly surprised to discover is that there are rubber 'tips' on the umbrella spines (?) so as to prevent any serious eye injury from inadvertently poking oneself in the eye.  The umbrella 'glides' open smoothly and easily, and our three year old granddaughter has no problem in operating it. The umbrella alone is a great purchase, but the entire ensemble is to die for.  I love shopping Amazon.com and leaving feedback, hoping that my comments will be found useful by other shoppers.  I depend on the feedback on this site before making many purchases, and believe that leaving honest feedback about a product is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.