Miss Fannie's Hat [Paperback]

Jan Karon (Author), Toni Goffe (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The author of "The Mitford Years" delivers her very first children's book, a tale of the selfless acts of a sprightly nonagenarian. At the ripe old age of 99, Miss Fannie donates her very favorite hat--the famous pink straw with roses--to help raise money in the church auction. Readers young and old will be enchanted with Miss Fannie and discover the wonderful truths about trust and faith and the rewards of unselfish love. Full color plus color stickers All Ages. Pub: 2/98. .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Miss Fannie has lots of hats. And each one is her favorite." At age 99, Miss Fannie has much history--and even more hats. She was wearing her green velour hat when she witnessed a terrible flood in 1916. Her wide-brimmed felt hat with the gleaming black feather reminds her of the hawk she caught to keep it from killing her hens and biddies. But her pink straw hat with silk roses truly is her favorite. For 35 years she's worn this hat to church every Easter Sunday, and "it always makes her feel brand-new, like Easter itself." She's not the only one who thinks it's special. When her handsome young preacher asks her to donate a hat to the church auction, Miss Fannie knows what she has to do. She takes a deep breath, thinks of her favorite verse from the Bible, "With God, all things are possible," and wraps up her pink straw hat. But she doesn't realize just how much is possible until the Easter Sunday after the auction.

Jan Kuron, popular author of the bestselling series for adults, The Mitford Years, as well as the children's book, Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, crafts a pleasing story of a charming woman (based on Kuron's own grandmother) who reaps the sweet rewards of her generosity. Toni Goffe's warm, cartoonish illustrations will make readers smile. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In her first book for children, Karon (Out to Canaan) uses her own grandmother as model for the good-natured Miss Fannie, famous for the dazzling, wide-brimmed hats she wears to church each Sunday. Her most celebrated is a pink straw hat with silk roses, which she has worn to services on 35 consecutive Easters. When the preacher asks her to donate one of her bonnets for the church auction, Miss Fannie asks the Lord for guidance in deciding which one to give away. Not surprisingly, she selects her prized pink chapeau and her sacrifice is rewarded handsomely, as the item fetches a high enough sum to make needed repairs to the church and bankroll the planting of beds of dazzling pink roses on the grounds. In a rather sentimental conclusion, Karon notes that when people view the beds of flowers, "what they're really seeing is Miss Fannie's hat." Animated by Goffe's (Just in Case You Ever Wondered) pastel-toned, cartoon art, this cheerful story offers a worthy message while avoiding a didactic tone. Children will delight in finding (tucked into a pocket on the back endpaper) a coated sheet featuring outdoor and indoor scenes as a backdrop for Miss Fannie, for whom they can use reusable stickers to dress her in an array of outfits and millinery. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806635266
• ISBN-13: 978-0806635262
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,728,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling series of nine Mitford novels featuring Father Timothy Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford. Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karon's Mitford books include At Home in Mitford; A Light in the Window; These High, Green Hills; Out to Canaan; A New Song; A Common Life: The Wedding Story; In This Mountain; Shepherd's Abiding; and Light from Heaven. The Father Tim Novels include "Home to Holly Springs" and last fall's release of "In the Company of Others," set in County Sligo, Ireland. There are over 40 million Mitford and Father Tim novels, childrens books, and CDs in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Fannie's Hat, May 2, 2000

By 

Carol Dinsmoore (Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Fannie's Hat (Paperback)

My daughter (age 3) loves this book! She enjoys looking forher favorite hat each time we read it. Having read the Mitford series,I was glad to see that Jan Karon had written children's books aswell. The illustrations in the book are great, nice and vivid. It's a very cute and fun book to read. It's a loving story not just about the hat, but the relationship that Miss Fannie has with her daughter. That is a story of it's own. It's a great book to give as a gift to anyone, adult or child. Jan Karon is a superb writer and I look forward to purchasing more books written by her for myself, as well as for my children. Another great book written by her that we have purchased is "Jeremy". Enjoy!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet, well-written book that all of my children enjoyed!, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Fannie's Hat (Paperback)

This book was a great find that teaches the importance of giving. It also portrays the aged Miss Fannie in such a way that it allowed my children to appreciate the incredible worth of the elderly. Even though it was a children's book, I found myself with a tear in my eye as I finished reading it aloud. This will be a gift I choose for friends with children!

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Easter story, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Fannie's Hat (Paperback)

Having read the Mitford series by Jan Karon, I was thrilled to discover she also has written children's books. I know a lady just like Miss Fannie at my church. It's a wonderful story for old and young alike. My women's group had everyone wear hats to their May meeting and shared this book with all the gals. They loved it. And the surprise at the back of the book is really enjoyed by my granddaughters.