Shall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn [Hardcover]

Kate Klise (Author), M. Sarah Klise (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Shall I knit you a hat to keep your ears warm?

A delightful tale of holiday giving

When Mother Rabbit knits a cozy winter hat for Little Rabbit, he likes it very much. In fact, he likes it so much that he thinks all of his friends need hats for Christmas. And he has some very creative designs in mind.

While Little Rabbit gets wrapped up in the joy of giving, everyone is reminded that friendship is the best gift of any season.

 

Shall I Knit You a Hat? is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–A sweet tale of gift giving and friendship. When Mother Rabbit hears that a blizzard is expected to hit on Christmas Eve, she knits Little Rabbit a hat that shows off his long, beautiful ears. He loves it, and suggests that they give their animal friends hats as Christmas presents. Mother Rabbit agrees, and the two set off to take stealthy measurements, then carefully craft the hats to suit the personality and physical attributes of each animal. The finished products are, well, creative; the expressions on the animals' faces as they view their gifts in a mirror are priceless. However, when the snow begins to fall, the recipients quickly realize that their presents are just what they needed. This is a good selection for holiday sharing, but the detailed acrylic illustrations cry out for close inspection and would work best one-on-one or with a small group.–M. A.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. Knitting is such a popular pastime these days, it's no surprise that after Mother Rabbit hears there's a blizzard on the way, she knits a woolly blue cap to cover Little Rabbit's ears. Little Rabbit then suggests making Christmas presents of hats for their friends, and he distracts the horse, the goose, and the others while Mother measures for the chapeaus. Working feverishly (and with Little Rabbit's help), Mother finishes the hats, which are silly and cumbersome as well as very cute, just in time. The recipients' initial response is underwhelming, but after the snow starts flying, the animals quickly become appreciative. Young ones may not understand why there's no thank you from the animals at first, but even missing this point won't diminish their enjoyment much. The acrylic artwork glows with humor and radiates warmth. The design features a varied layout that finds full-page pictures loaded with details juxtaposed with spreads and pages decorated with cameo art. The author and artist, sisters who have collaborated on several illustrated novels, make a promising picture-book debut here. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805073183
• ISBN-13: 978-0805073188
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

KATE KLISE is an author of many genres. She has written picture books, as well as middle-grade novels, all illustrated by her sister, Sarah. She has also written two young adult novels and is a freelance reporter for People magazine. Kate lives and writes in Norwood, Missouri. www.kateandsarahklise.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knitting Friendship, December 12, 2004

By 

E. S. Will "a new leaf" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn (Hardcover)

[This review was first published in the "Ephrata (Pa.) Review."]
A blizzard is blowing in but Little Rabbit is ready. His mother has knit him a cozy hat. Little Rabbit worries about his friends, however. He suggests they should receive hats for Christmas too, an idea Mother Rabbit seconds. Little Rabbit designs headgear appropriate to horse, goose, cat, dog, squirrel and deer. The friends aren't sure what to make of the quirky hats--until they see just how toasty the custom designs keep them. This snug story of friendship and mother-child love encapsulates the Christmas message that giving begets joy.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable New Children's Book for the Holidays, September 22, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn (Hardcover)

Mother Rabbit decides to knit a wonderful winter hat for Little Rabbit to protect his long ears from the frosty cold weather, and to keep them nice and cozy. Little Rabbit adores the hat, and decides that it would be the perfect Christmas gift for all of their animal friends. After all, it would come in very handy for the horrible winter storms, and it's a present that would be cherished by all of them for years and years to come. Mother Rabbit thinks that this is a lovely idea, so, with the help of Little Rabbit, and his intrepid designs, and vivid imagination, she begins knitting, and has soon created wonderful gifts for everyone she and Little Rabbit know.

Kate Klise is known for her wonderful writing, and SHALL I KNIT YOU A HAT? is no exception. While it doesn't contain the normal page count of her many novels for middle readers, it contains a very enjoyable story, filled with adorable prose, and a wonderful message of thinking of others around the holiday season, that will be loved by young readers the world over, whether they are reading it at Christmastime, or in the middle of the summer. And, as usual, M. Sarah Klise, who is known for her descriptive illustrations has created a splendid collection of colorful, and vivid illustrations that will capture the heart of even the biggest grinch. If you are only purchasing one holiday children's book this year for your family, this is the one to get, as the whole family will be thrilled at the prospect of reading it together.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful addition to our Christmas collection, August 1, 2005

By 

Lin "childrens' book addict from downunder" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn (Hardcover)

I received this book today and I was not disappointed. It's a lovely sweet story with an 'it's better to give than to receive moral'. The illustrations are beautiful and unusual. I know this will be a favourite in our Christmas collection. A must have.