The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins

Heading into town one day, the humble Bartholomew Cubbins whips his hat off his head when King Derwin passes in his carriage, only to find that a new one - an exact duplicate - has taken its place. The irate king, prouder than he is wise, stops the procession to demand that Bartholomew show the proper respect, and that young boy, almost petrified with fright, rushes to comply. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he removes his hat, he always finds it instantly replaced. Hauled off to the castle, he is confronted by the king and his courtiers in the throne room, and an investigation is launched. But no one, from the hat maker to the wise men, the magicians to the executioner, can solve the problem. Eventually, the king's spoiled show more rotten nephew, the Grand Duke Wilfred, suggests chucking Bartholomew off the tower, a fate that is only avoided when the final, 500th hat to appear is so dazzlingly ornate, that the king decides he must have it for himself...

The first of two picture-books featuring that engaging young hero, Bartholomew Cubbins - the second was Bartholomew and the Ooblek, a Caldecott Honor Book in 1950 - The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins was originally published in 1938, the year after Dr. Seuss's picture-book debut, And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, and is his second contribution to the form. Although I definitely read the second book about Bartholomew as a girl, this one is not a title I recall from my own childhood. I picked it up as part of a Dr. Seuss retrospective I have undertaken, as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, McElligot's Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super!, On Beyond Zebra! and The Cat's Quizzer - in recent days. See my review of And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street HERE, for a fuller exploration of my thoughts on that matter. This title has thankfully not (yet!) been deemed controversial.

Leaving that aside, I enjoyed The 500 Hat of Bartholomew Cubbins immensely, appreciating its tongue-in-cheek fairy-tale feeling, and its immensely expressive artwork. Parts of the story, particularly the episode in which both the Grand Duke Wilfred and Yeoman the Bowman attempt to shoot the hats from Bartholomew's head, reminded me of traditional lore. Specifically, the famous episode from the William Tell story. Other elements - the five hundred hats, the hapless court attendants, the executioner's refusal to behead Bartholomew, because it must be done when the prisoner is hatless - struck me as vintage Seuss, with that oddball sense of humor, and that matter-of-factly magical quality I have come to associate with his work. The illustrations here are done in black and white, with Bartholomew's red hat providing the only color on the page. This choice emphasizes how central the hat is to the story, as its outrageous and unusual reproduction of itself causes such chaos for both its owner and the rather silly king. Royalty definitely doesn't come off looking well here - King Derwin seems self-important, rather stupid, easily led, and swayed by both vanity and greed - making me wonder whether this was common in Seuss' books, or not. I'll be keeping an eye on that, going forward in this reading project. This is one I would recommend to picture-book readers who enjoy fairy-tale type stories, although it's a little text-heavy, so it's definitely not for the very young. Perhaps five and up? show less

Bartholomew Cubbins happens to be along the cobblestone street when the King of Didd passes by and notices that Bartholomew has not removed his hat before the king. But Bartholomew has removed his hat, it's just that a new one has re-appeared in its place. As more and more hats emerge on Bartholomew's head, he finds himself in deeper and deeper trouble with the king!

This book is one of the earliest ones written by children's author Dr. Seuss and therefore least resembles his later books. Typical Seussical elements such as rhyming, tongue twisters, alliteration, imaginary creatures, and so forth are missing here. The illustrations do have his style at heart but are nonetheless a bit more realistic than his later ones. Still, none of that show more is to say this is not a good book. Indeed, it's a magnificent book with a fairy tale like story of fantastical magic. It's rather funny and the appearance of a variety of interesting characters makes it interesting to read aloud to young children if you're willing to attempt various voices. I also enjoyed how the illustrations were all black in white except with a hint of red for Bartholomew's many hats.

Do be aware, however, that this book is rather lengthy compared to other Dr. Seuss titles. This is not a beginner reader book that an emergent reader will sit down with on their own and it will take some time to read aloud. I think it's more than worth the effort and found that my 6-year-old babysitting charge was enraptured throughout the entire reading. show less

You can't go wrong with any Dr Seuss book honestly but this one really is one of my favorites by him. The story is clever in a way that only Dr Seuss can manage and the illustrations are fabulous as they are in all his books. A must read for adults and children alike.

I simply ADORE this book. Bartholomew just can't seem to catch a break! He takes his hat off in the presence of the king only to be taken to the castle for not doing so. What is up with that? Could it possibly be the fact that he just can't take off his hat? OR is it because one keeps appearing underneath every one he takes off. The hats are so pretty and they keep getting more & more eye-catching. One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books ever!!! =)

Bartholomew has one hat that is rather plain, but it was his father’s, so he loved it. However, when he comes to face the king, the king demands he remove his hat. However, when Bartholomew removes one hat, another just like it appears on his head! The King is infuriated. He asks many different people to try to remove the hat, but no one can. Finally, the King is giving up, and he sentences Bartholomew to execution. However, the executioner will not chop off his head with his hat on, as that is a rule! They decide to push Bartholomew off the top of the tower, but as they climb, Bartholomew continues to throw hats off left and right, trying desperately to get them off. The hats begin to change as they near the 500th hat, adding a show more feather or a gem here and there. The 500th hat is very beautiful, and the King wants to buy it for 500 pieces of gold. When Bartholomew takes off that hat to give it to the King, he finds that his head is hatless! He returns home to his parents with no hat but a sack of gold.

I thought that this book was fun and feel like kids would really enjoy this story. The storybook format is different than any other Dr. Seuss book I have read, but it still has his signature style. I thought it was interesting that Seuss never explains why Bartholomew’s hats are so peculiar; instead, he just ends the story saying that “it happened but is unlikely to happen again.” show less

It always surprises me that Dr. Seuss illustrated his own books. In this story Bartholomew keeps taking off his hat only to find there is another similar hat underneath. He begins taking them off under threat of the king and when he reaches the 450th hat, things start to change and the hats begin to become more elaborate. He keeps taking off hats until he ultimately gets to his 500th hat. It is glorious. He takes it off and, no more hats. He is sent home with a reward. Dr. Seuss's illustration style is fun in its hand-drawn style. It is simple, but adds to the kookiness of the story-telling.

"Be calm, my Sire, and have to no fears. The hat will come off in ten short years."

Not Typical Dr. Seuss

None of the adults know what to do, and Bartholomew makes important people very perplexed. Bartholomew stays calm through the whole story, in full control of his emotions, and does everything the king tells him to do. There is a storyline within this story because of bratty Grand Duke Wilfred who keeps wanting to push Bartholomew off the top of the castle. At the end of the story, the prince ends up being spanked on a castle turret, much to the delight of children. Bartholomew ends up with no hat on his head, unscathed, and with a reward, he takes home to his parents.