Brian Won

Waking up one day in a very grumpy state, Elephant's mood is considerably improved by the arrival of a package containing some fun hats. Putting them on, he proceeds to his friend Zebra's, where he discovers that he isn't the only one who began his day feeling grumpy. Fortunately, he has head-wear to share, and improves not just Zebra's day, but that of Turtle and Owl as well. Lion proves more of a challenge, as he feels that he shouldn't be happy when his friend Giraffe is unwell, but the show more animals companions all head to her home, and the day ends in happiness for all...

A cute book with winsome artwork, engaging typography and design, and a sweet story, Hooray for Hat! is sure to be a winner with toddlers and younger children. I really liked Brian Won's color scheme here - the vivid aqua blues, the subtler yellows and oranges - and I appreciated his use of a threatening gray scribble above each character's head, indicating their grumpy mood. The replacement of the gray scribble with a colorful hat was an effective visual representation of their changed mood. I also really appreciate the use of various colors in the type itself, and the change from a plain black font to a more colorful and decorative one, when the text gets to the 'hoorays' throughout. Recommended to anyone looking for fun picture-books for younger children, particularly picture-books with a real sense of visual whimsy. show less

Owl wakes up to a moonlight night and thinks to himself, what a great day. But as he goes from friend to friend looking for a playdate, everyone is too sleepy. What can poor Owl do?

This is a cute enough book, and small children will enjoy the repetition. The illustrations are fine, but don't do a whole lot to add to or progress the story. Overall, my feeling was that the book wasn't bad, but it's not exactly one to write home about either. It's a sufficient choice when you want to talk about show more friendship, animals, or bedtime. show less

Owl wakes up one evening in a wonderful mood, and wanting to share what promises to be a fun day with her friends, gathers all of her toys and seeks them out. Unfortunately, her nocturnal habits are not in line with those of her day-time companions, and each of them, from Elephant to Lion, is too sleepy to play with her. Dispirited at the seeming rejection, Owl heads home, arriving at dawn to discover all of the other creatures waiting for her, ready to play...

Like its predecessor, Hooray show more for Hat!, this engaging picture-book follows an individual - here it is Owl, in the previous book it was Elephant - who approaches each of the animals in their circle of friends. In the previous story, hats brought happiness, here Owl's efforts, although seemingly futile at first, bring everyone together for a day of fun and play. The artwork is just as appealing here as in the first, with a vibrant palette - I liked the deep blue backgrounds used for the nighttime scenes - and excellent variation of type size and color. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed Brian Won's first effort in this vein! show less

Have you ever had a grumpy day? In this adorable and deceivingly simple story, Elephant is
having a grumpy day when his door bell rings. Outside he finds a present ‐ a stack of hats. As
soon as he puts the stack of hats on his head, he is immediately cheered up, Hooray for Hat! Elephant wants to show his friend, Zebra. The only problem is that Zebra is grumpy too. So Elephant shares his gift and gives Zebra one of his hats. Elephant and Zebra set off to show their hats to their friend show more Turtle, but they find that Turtle is having a grumpy day too. Soon Elephant is cheering up all of his friends by sharing his hats. Author and Illustrator, Brian Won creates brightly pastel colored illustrations which draw the readers attention to the animals expressive faces that harmonize perfectly with the text. A simple message of friendship and kindness with repeat phrases is perfect for a pre‐K‐2 audience and for anyone who needs to be cheered up ‐ Hooray for Hat! show less