Very Good Hats

"Do you know what a hat is?
I bet you think you know what a hat is..."

Hats you can buy at the haberdashery are "just the tip of the iceberg": all kinds of unexpected things make very good hats! From acorn caps to bubbles, flowers, and empty bowls, more things can be hats than you might expect. A simple concept expands into the poetic with some imagination ("if you're in an airplane, you get to wear a cloud"), and Blanca Gómez's paper collage and digital style fits this story like, well, a perfect hat.

"You see? Hats are everywhere you look!
Anything can be a hat if you believe it is."

With a creative mindset and a just-right amount of humor, this is a great storytime book with obvious craft tie-ins (paper hats/crowns, anyone?).

I LOVE hats! Reading this book was an absolute delight with Ms. Straub identifying so very many things that make hats, very good hats, for all sorts of things. My two favorites were the roof of a houe is the house's hat and that in winter having your pet on your head makes a nice warm hat. One of the kids in the picture had a rat on his head! Highly recommended if you are a hat fan and you want something to bring a you a smile.

I love books that inspire imagination, like [b:Not a Stick|2079076|Not a Stick|Antoinette Portis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347930466l/2079076._SX50_.jpg|2084348] and [b:Christina Katerina & the Box|875035|Christina Katerina & the Box|Patricia Lee Gauch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1310138645l/875035._SX50_.jpg|860378]. I should've liked this a lot more than I did. But it just kinda fell flat for me somehow. One problem I had with it is that the illustrations promised delightful details, but when I squinted, there was nothing special to see. It's probably just me, though, so try it for yourself if you're interested.

What's a hat? Well, readers will learn that anything can be a hat! Fun illustrations are reminiscent of Fisher Price Little People. My favorite hat is the soup hat, even if it wasn't as fun for the character.

Anything can be a hat! Perfect for a story time where you make silly hats at the end.

creative look at hats