Friday, March 2, 2018

The Pink Hat

The Pink Hat. Andrew Joyner. 2017. [December 26] Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: First there wasn't a hat. Then...there was. It was a pink hat. A cozy pink hat. That is, until...a cat grabbed the hat. It was a fun hat. A fun pink hat. That is, until....

Premise/plot: "Pink hat" begins its life, if you will, as a bit of yarn in the hands of a woman. In the course of the book, it has several different owners and MANY purposes. But one day this oh-so-practical hat, this often-worn, well-beloved hat takes part in something special--the 2017 Women's March--when the owner, a little girl, joins in with the crowd.

My thoughts: The book uses just a few words per page to tell the story. The jacket cover reads, "Once there was a pink hat. A cat played with it. A baby caught it. A dog swiped it. That is, until...a girl found it. And one day she wore it someplace special." The illustrations are simple as well. The illustrations are black and white and....PINK. Is the story as simple as it appears to be? You may be the best judge of that. One thing is for certain, the book isn't preachy--at least not in the actual narrative. (We do see signs the women in the march are carrying.)

Chances are the intended audience won't remember the classic Sesame Street sketch, "Bert's blanket." But The Pink Hat definitely reminds me of it.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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