Do You Have a Hat? [Hardcover]

Eileen Spinelli (Author), Geraldo Valerio (Illustrator)

Book Description

A fancy hat. A hat that's plain.

A hat for keeping off the rain.

A glowing hat. A hat with fruit.

A hat for that new dress or suit.

All herein have hats, it's true --

fantastic, magnificent hats!

Do you?

What do Spanish painter Francisco de Goya, Russian-American composer Igor Stravinsky, South American entertainer Carmen Miranda, African-American cowboy Nat Love, and President Abraham Lincoln have in common?

HATS! Unique, distinctive, wonderful hats! And this bright and cheerful picture book from best-selling author Eileen Spinelli and colorful newcomer Geraldo Valério will have you thinking twice before going outside without yours!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Spinelli provides some great entertainment in this rhyming story that showcases the famous headgear of individuals such as Igor Stravinsky, Carmen Miranda, Abraham Lincoln, Nat Love, and Johnny Appleseed. For example, "Francisco de Goya had a hat,/a hat with candles on the brim–/a clever hat that suited him–/that made a chandelier of light/for painting far into the night." From its opening lines ("Do YOU have a hat?/Something fuzzy, warm, and red,/to keep the snowflakes off your head?") to its closing ones naming different toppers ("A magic hat? A cap? A crown?/A country hat? A hat for town?"), children will be enchanted and engaged. They will certainly join in on the title refrain on each page. Valério's illustrations are done in acrylics primarily with bright shades of orange, blue, green, and red. His stylized figures are humorous, with exaggerated facial features. The endpapers offer brief tidbits about the people who are represented here. Overall, this original and amusing book is a great marriage of text and artwork. It will make a terrific storytime addition, either by itself or combined with other clothing-related selections such as Jonathan London's Froggy Gets Dressed (Viking, 1992) or Joan Nodset's classic Who Took the Farmer's Hat? (HarperCollins, 1963).–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. What initially appears to be a charming, if unexceptional, picture book about hats turns out to be a fun introduction to historical figures. The opening pages show children in seasonally appropriate headgear playing in snow and on a beach. Then a conversational text introduces a variety of well-known hat wearers, including Abraham Lincoln, who wore a stovepipe hat; Carmen Miranda, who wore a topper of fruit; and John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed), who was said to wear a cooking pot. More obscure people are also included--among them, magician Louis Comte, out of whose hat a rabbit appears. Whimsical caricatures in bright colors, with hats prominently featured, energize the litany of characters, and the endpapers provide brief details on the individuals mentioned and put them into context. A book that will encourage kids to think about hats' various uses and spark interest in researching those who wore them. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (September 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689862539
• ISBN-13: 978-0689862533
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eileen Spinelli is no stranger to the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers list. Since her debut in 1991 with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, an IRA/CBC Children's Choice book and Christopher Award winner, she has gone on to author numerous picture books, poetry collections, and chapter books, including the best-selling When Mama Comes Home Tonight, and the critically acclaimed Sophie's Masterpiece. Eileen lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for pre-schoolers and up, September 1, 2006

By 

M. Plasse "Lovin' books" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do You Have a Hat? (Hardcover)

This is an entertaining book that incorporates historical figures that wore hats into the story. Very colorful illustrations make the story even more enjoyable! My children enjoyed it very much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does your toddler love books and love to wear hats?, December 31, 2005

By 

myangelbabygabriel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do You Have a Hat? (Hardcover)

At first I wasn't sure if my two year old would go for this book but he LOVES it! It's a little long, so I would recommend it for young toddlers, like my son, who really like to be read to and who have a long attention span. With older kids, about four and older, it should be fine. Each time I read this book to my son, I have to read it at least twice. I'm not sure if it's the very well written poetry or the pictures that captivate him the most. He has recently decided that he likes to wear hats and likes his mommy and daddy to wear hats, so maybe that's it. Anyway, this is a fun book that parents won't mind reading again and again and toddlers who love books, and hats, will simply adore.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, colorful, lyrical and fun, December 30, 2010

By 

tgpa2004 "tgpa2004" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Do You Have a Hat? (Hardcover)

So I had a 4 year old not very fond of wearing hats but this book got us all revved up. It talks about famous folks and types of hats they wore and then each page ends with 'do you have a hat' and that my friend was the magic question that got my son to wear a hat, so he could say: yes. I loved the colorful illustrations and will try and find more books by this illustrator and author.