Satoshi Kitamura

When a young boy heads out into his neighborhood to spend his precious savings, he's in for delight and disappointment. He delights in all that surrounds him, and the possibility of what he could buy...but when it all of a sudden disappears, he's down in the dumps. At that time, he steps into a very special shop...a smile shop, if you will...and discovers that even without coin or riches exchanged, some things are more valuable still, and can change a frown upside down in a hurry.

With a more sombre color palette, the illustrations in this one really leave their mark as they high the important things, the best things that life has to offer. It emphasizes that material things are all well and fine, but kindness shared, a smile given is just as important in our crazy, fast-paced world.


**copy received for review, opinions are my own… (more)

Peachtree was purchased by a larger company, Trustbridge, almost two years ago. At the time, they were clear that their publishing model would remain the same, although they did not rule out the possibility of purchasing new manuscripts outside their usual areas. I think this is the first I've seen and it's a wonderful choice.

Originally published in Great Britain in 2019, this will be a new author/illustrator for many American readers, although Satoshi Kitamura is well-known both in his native Japan and for his work in Great Britain. Fans may recognize a familiar looking orange cat at one point in the story...

The premise is simple - there's a magic hat. Inside the hat is Hattie the Magician and she's ready to put on a show! Say the magic words, "abracadabra katakurico" and see what happens! As Hattie produces more and bigger animals out of her hat, readers will be in gales of laughter and delight, especially as she reaches her finale.

Kitamura's soft watercolors show a sweet little rabbit and goofy, panic-eyed animals, as they realize they're coming out of a tiny hat, whether they like it or not! This will be a great interactive storytime - give kids plenty of time to practice (slowly) saying the magic words and let them guess what's coming next!

Verdict: Although Kitamura isn't well-known in America, nor is this his first US-published book, this is likely to be the most popular and will introduce this illustrator and author to a whole new audience. A great choice for storytime and one-on-one read-alouds, this is a great addition to your collection of interactive and magic-themed stories.

ISBN: 9781682631508; Published March 2020 by Peachtree; Review copy provided by the publisher and donated to the library; Used in activity calendars and online storytimes.… (more)