From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-When residents of Littleton receive word that the Queen might stop by, they engage in a flurry of activity to beautify the town. Perfectionists all, they cannot bear it when Miss Hunnicutt appears wearing her new hat, complete with a live chicken, perched on top of her head. "It has to go!" is the general consensus. But the woman stands her ground, creating chaos all around her as distracted citizens allow cats to escape up a tree and leave water running, causing a mudslide that coats streets and people alike; and trucks carrying the royal cake and raspberry soda collide, scattering their contents everywhere. Just when things can't get any worse, the monarch arrives, sporting a surprise of her own. Brumbeau's lengthy text reveals an increasingly confident Miss Hunnicutt who first says in a tiny voice: "I think I might have the right to wear what I like"; then states firmly: "I'm pretty sure I have the right to wear what I like"; and finally asserts in a voice "both loud and sure": "I have the right to wear what I like!" The watercolor illustrations are large and extremely busy, reflecting the copious beautifying activities and subsequent pandemonium. Cats wearing funny hats are everywhere. Mud-splattered townsfolk tumble across spreads, while falling strawberries and soda cover everything. Beneath the book's jacket is a panoramic view of Littleton and readers can hunt for all 27 of Miss Bisbee's cats. Endpapers filled with outlandish hats and many visual jokes will keep youngsters amused for some time.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CTCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
K-Gr. 3. The author and illustrator of
The Quiltmaker's Gift (1999) offers another lesson, this one on the importance of tolerance and being true to oneself. The inhabitants of Littleton are all a-flutter, preparing for the visit of their beloved Queen. In the midst of cleaning and redecorating, they notice timid Miss Hunnicutt out for a stroll, wearing a live chicken perched on her hat. Important, influential townsfolk try to convince her to cease and desist, but each protester only serves to strengthen her resolve. In the end, Miss Hunnicutt's assertiveness is rewarded as she shares fashion ideas with the Queeen, whose hat has a "happily gobbling turkey on top." Although one spread (cats hiding among the branches of an apple tree) may confuse young children, the watercolors brim with details that add to the story's humor. One might wish Miss Hunnicutt had staked her principles on something more important than a chicken, but her story can still perk up values education lessons. A stronger (albeit more political) choice is Sam Swope's
The Araboolies of Liberty Street (2001).
Kay WeismanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
