Bridget's Beret [Hardcover]

Tom Lichtenheld (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010 | Age Range: 4 - 7 years | Lexile Measure: 690L (What's this?)

Bridget loves to draw, and she likes to wear a beret for inspiration. So when her beloved hat blows away, Bridget searches for it high and low. She files a Missing Beret Report. She even considers other hats, but none of them feel quite right. It’s no use; without her beret, Bridget can’t seem to draw. How will she overcome her artist’s block?

Make sure to check out Bridget’s notebook scribbles at the end of the book for her thoughts and facts on art!

Bridget's Beret is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Bridget loves to draw, but she needs her black artist's beret as her muse. One day as she is outdoors working, it flies off into the wind, and she believes that her inspiration has flown with it. Other hats don't help and she stops drawing. But when her little sister begs her to make a sign for a lemonade stand, Bridget agrees. Once she starts painting, she finds that the art was inside her all along; in fact, her new paintings are more sophisticated and draw on the works of recognizable artists. Lichtenheld's ink, colored pencil, and watercolor cartoon illustrations, heavy on line and filled with childlike drawings, add humor and character to the story. Combined with Peter Reynolds's The Dot (2003) and Ish (2004, both Candlewick), the ideas for inspiration that are included in the back matter would work well for a lesson on artistic expression.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Lichtenheld’s last successful effort, Duck! Rabbit! (2009), authored by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, was delightful, but more concept than story. Here, he offers a real tale to go along with a clever idea. Bridget loves drawing, but she feels what’s most important to her artistic sense is her black beret. So when the wind blows it away, Bridget is stricken. She puts up posters and files a “Missing Beret” report, but to no avail. Having lost her hat, Bridget also loses her ability to draw. One hysterical spread shows her trying on other hats to see if they inspire. A cowboy hat (“Draw, partner!”). A propeller beanie (“How uplifting”). Nope, she has “artist’s block” (a fine sidebar explains just what that is). When her sister asks Bridget to make signs for her lemonade stand, Bridget agrees to put words on paper, but no pictures. Yet that o in lemonade tempts her to color it yellow and add a leaf. Pretty soon she is drawing signs that pay homage to great artists—she has got her artistic mojo back. And her beret turns up, too. This smart, saucy book, with its spacious cartoon-style art, is both a spur to artistic endeavor and a message about inspiration and hard work. Yet the motivations are cocooned by a crackin’ good tale and tempered by a full-faceted heroine. Tips for readers about creating their own art neatly complete an already strong package that can easily be worked into the curriculum. Grades K-2. --Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805087753
• ISBN-13: 978-0805087758
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Children's book author & illustrator Tom Lichtenheld writes for kids who love to laugh and adults who love to laugh along with them. See all of his books and get a glimpse of how he creates them at tomlichtenheld.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, sweet book about art and artists May 13, 2010

By Dree of Charlotte

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you've read Tom Lichtenheld's children's books, you know he can craft wacky, silly books full of humor. Examples: the brilliant 'Everything I Know About Pirates' and 'What Are You So Grumpy About?' But this book is much softer, much sweeter, and much more personal. Bridget is a young girl entranced by art, so much so that even ice cream would be a distraction. Her arty beret gives her power, but when the beret blows away in a gust of wind, she is lost. She can't find the beret and she can't create art. She sulks. Can she ever be happy again? Well, of course she can. It's a sweet book, very much pointed at art and the artist in us all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bereft sans beret March 26, 2011

By Madigan McGillicuddy

Format:Hardcover

In this cute picture book story, Bridget is afraid that her artistic inspiration will be gone forever after she loses her sassy black beret. After sulking for quite some time, her friends finally convince her to help them out with the sign for their lemonade stand because, "it's not a drawing, it's just a sign." Sure enough, that's enough to get her inspired again and soon, she's adding plenty of artistic flourishes to the sign. The book features an interesting little sidebars about writer's block, as well as running commentary from a tiny bunny. As a nice easter-egg, if you look closely at the horizon on the last picture, you'll see Bridget's dog running to bring her back the lost beret. Mixed-media illustrations using ink, colored pencil, watercolor and sidewalk chalk have a light, cartoony feel. An afterward featuring photos of famous works of art from various well-known artists paired with informational, yet silly text follows. Once you've read the book, you'll want to go back and see how Lichtenheld has paid homage to various artists throughout the pages. Very educational, and possibly inspiring to young artists everywhere, I would recommend this book for ages 3-8.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This tale of Bridget and her problem with an "artist's block" is utterly charming and amusing! June 24, 2010

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Bridget loved to draw and even when someone offered her something as special as an ice cream, she simply couldn't seem to pull herself away from her work. She had a black beret plopped quaintly askew on her head and her tongue stuck out ever so slightly so she could concentrate on her drawing. There were beautiful pictures hung up all over the walls for everyone to enjoy. Her "favorite place to draw was outdoors" sitting at a green picnic table with her art supplies all around her because "when she was outdoors, drawing all the things around her, Bridget felt like she was right where she belonged." And that she was.

She had many permanent works of art that were hung on the fridge and the walls, but she also had chalk drawings that washed away when the rains came. Of course her most important art supply was her black artist's beret that had that "certain `je ne sais quoi,'" but one day a gust of wind took it away from her and it was lost. A light suddenly went out of her life and Bridget couldn't seem to draw any more. No one could find the beret and she no longer could draw because no other hat would do. How was she ever going to get over the loss of her beret? Was she ever going to be able to draw again?

This tale of Bridget and her problem with an "artist's block" is utterly charming and amusing. Bridget's passion for something she is very good can be seen in many children. Some children just love to do things such as drawing, dancing, or singing to the exclusion of other things. Her creativity is lovingly brought out in the artwork where her emotion and passionate love for her art can be seen in the subtle changes in her facial expressions. If you have a budding artist, or a youngster who is passionate about their creative abilities, this is one book you may wish to consider!