I believe, the proliferation of the hat in children's literature is more than all this. Parenting in modern America can feel like an out of control merry-go-round. The drumbeat of media messages to buy the right toys, infuse your home with the right music [Mozart] so as to promote brain development, commit to the right "play group", enroll the child in the right pre-school (that promises to prepare your kid for the Ivy League), treading through the ubiquitous disingenuity (politicians and advertisers spinning, lying, and double-speaking) and deciding when and what to expose your innocent to the modern world, rampant commercialism (don't buy anything except a hat), war - is it any wonder why a parent is attracted to a simple story that revolves around a simple honest object that connotes a simpler time. Hat as nostalgic icon - yes, that too. But alas, more than nostalgia - for crying out loud, the parent understandably wants to take her kid off that crazy modern merry-go-round. The parent has an epiphany -- don't heap all this adult nonsense and anxiety upon my kid - I'll buy a little book and read about a hat. This is a good thing to do in our hyper-complex 21st Century -- it's in fact good for the soul.
By Kirby Fopma & Holly Wojahn. Art Bookbindery, 2012.
That Hat’s Fedorable is a great children’s book. With colorful illustrations and rhyming words, kids are bound to stay interested. The illustrations somewhat resemble Matisse—the artist of the well known painting, “Woman in a Hat”—and go along great with the story. This story book is also great for learning about hats all around the world, from the American baseball cap to the French beret. If you’re not quite sure what the hat you’re reading about is, there’s a glossary at the end of the book that describes the unfamiliar hat or term. That Hat’s Fedorable comes complete with a seven track CD that contains songs about the hats featured in the book. Both catchy and upbeat, the songs by Rodger and Scott Wojahn are enjoyable and fun!Read More
Story by Mary Jo Reinhart
Artwork by Paula Nathan
It's true that people who wear hats have often been seen as eccentric, outside the fashion mainstream. (Fortunately for Village Hat Shop, this is rapidly changing.) As Grinelda appreciates, hat-making is an art form and staying true to your art will pay dividends in the long run.
Middle to upper elementary school-age children need to read books like this, as Grineldas - everywhere and in every generation - need the support that it offers.Read More
By Alice Low. Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
I chuckled aloud on the first page. And it stays funny too - if you don't worry too much about what a nut-case Aunt Lucy is. I really appreciated the political incorrectness of this book, rather unusual and refreshing in today's children's literature (hooray).Read More
By Laura Geringer
Pictures by Arnold Lobel
I remember when this book appeared (1985). I was new to the hat business amd this book spoke to me. From the first illustration where R.R. Pottle the Third is sitting in a big chair reading "Hats In History" to the scene in the hat store, and all the rest, this book is for those who love and understand the allure of hats.Read More
By Eileen Spinelli
Illustrated by Geraldo Valerio
Certain individuals are so closely associated with their hats that it is hard to think of either the hat or the person without the other coming to mind - Abe Lincoln and his stove-pipe top hat, Carmen Miranda and her towering hat of fruit, Daniel Boone and his coonskin hat - to name a few. This book introduces youngsters to these folks as well as other historical figures the likes of Walt Whitman, Francisco de Goya, Amelia Earhart, and others. Any hat nut, myself for example, will love this book.Read More
By Janet Slingsby
Illustrated by Emma Dodd
Hetty is an inveterate hat collector. She won't rest until she gets to one hundred hats. I found this to be a very fun read - in part, no doubt, because I am a hatter. Young children will learn counting as well as reading. (I won't be the only one who gets a kick out