The Hat (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Winter was on the way..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Hedgie the hedgehog discovers the wisdom of the adage, "Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong" only after curiosity gets this prickly fellow in a pickle. When Lisa's red and white woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and sticks his nose inside, only to discover his prickles prevent him from pulling out of it. Soon all the farm animals are coming around to chuckle at silly Hedgie's stocking hat. But in the end, nimble-witted Hedgie gets the last laugh.

This magnificently illustrated companion book to artist (and hedgehog owner) Jan Brett's classic The Mitten was the winner of the prestigious 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Young readers can spend hours with this one short book, poring over the pleasing, spirited details of Brett's trademark picture borders. Throughout, Lisa can be seen in these artful frames, making preparations for the cold Scandinavian winter, never realizing that her clothesline is becoming more line than clothes. If it were possible to wrap oneself up in these warm, cozy illustrations, readers would be set for the winter. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3. A clever and appealing picture book. In preparation for cold weather, Lisa takes her winter clothes out of their storage chest and hangs them up in the fresh air. A strong wind blows one of her knit socks off the line. A hedgehog sticks his head inside, and it becomes stuck on his quills. When a hen, goose, cat, dog, pig, and horse laugh at his appearance, he tries to salvage his dignity by telling each one that his new hat will keep him dry, warm, and cozy throughout the winter. Finally, Lisa finds him and removes her sock, telling him that animals don't wear clothing. But when she goes back to the clothesline, she sees all of the animals wearing her gloves, sweaters, and scarves on their heads. Brett's illustrations are done in her trademark style of highly detailed depictions of her characters and a creative use of borders. Contained within them are small illustrations foreshadowing what will happen next. Shades of grays and greens capture the chilly autumn landscape. Against this background, the earthy colors of the animals and the deep red of Lisa's sock make a stark contrast. The pictures, story, and subject matter make this a natural for sharing aloud. And while very young children may need to have the humor of Hedgie's predicament explained to them, the book's appeal will be broad.?Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (September 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399231013
• ISBN-13: 978-0399231018
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,228 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Brett, Jan
  #50 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Stories
  #97 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Children's Literature Classic, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

The Hat is a must have for your child's library. The illustrations are fantastic and the story is so endearing. The children in my second grade class love to hear it again and again. However, beyond its appeal to children, The Hat is another example of children's lterature thats theme can be applied to adults as well. If you don't know of Jan Brett, I guarantee if you read this book you will fall in love with her.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever Techniques of Foreshadowing, April 11, 2001

By	Lindsay Franklin (Clemson, SC USA) - See all my reviews

Jan Brett's picture book, The Hat, is about a hedgehog that gets a little girl's stocking stuck on his head. He says it is his new hat, but everyone makes fun of him. Eventually, though, all the animals pull something off the girl's clothesline to use as a hat. At the end, after she plucks the stocking off of the hedgehog, the little girl chases the other animals around the yard to try to gather her clothes. Illustrations are a wonderful way to enhance a story. They help the reader to really see what is happening. Jan Brett uses borders in her illustrations. Her borders inform the reader of what is going on in other parts of the story while at the same time foreshadowing what is to come.

Brett incorporates small pictures in her borders to give the reader clues to what is going on in other parts of the story. For example, while the animals are being introduced in the main illustration, illustrations of Lisa, the little girl, appear in the left-hand side of the borders. These pictures show her inside her house doing things such as reading and watering the plants. Later in the story, these illustrations are reversed: Lisa appears in the main picture and the animals appear in the border. This is because Lisa becomes the focus of the story when she finds that the hedgehog is wearing her stocking; whereas, before the animals are the main focus of the story. William Moebius explains this when he says, "the frame enables the reader to identify with a world inside and outside the story" (150). At the top of the border, there is a picture of the clothesline. This shows the progress of the story. Each time an animal takes a piece of clothing, that piece of clothing no longer appears on the clothesline. In Moebius' article, he says that Tomi Ungerer believes that "the design itself tells much of the story" (142). These pictures in the border make The Hat a multidimensional story. The reader knows what is going on with the animals outside while being able to know what Lisa is doing inside.

Brett has a distinctive technique of foreshadowing. She uses the borders of her illustrations to hint at what will come next in the story. On each page, in the right-hand side of the border, the animal that will appear next is shown. For example, the hedgehog is on the right in the border, foreshadowing his appearance on the next page. Once all of the animals have been introduced, Lisa appears in the right of the border, informing the reader that she realizes something is going on. In the second to last page, the hedgehog appears in the border yawning. This picture wraps up the story and informs the reader that the story is almost over. Using the border is an excellent way to foreshadow events. It gives the reader insight into the developing plot while using the main illustration to describe the current events.

The unique style of illustrating that Brett uses serves many purposes simultaneously. The main illustration, large and centered, focuses only on the current situation. The border around that, however, notifies the reader of events that are taking place in the story at the same time as the event that is being focused on in the main illustration. These borders also cue the reader into the event that is about to occur. Brett's borders are important in her stories in order to give the reader the entire picture and to foreshadow the coming events.

Moebius, William. "Introduction to Picturebook Codes." Word and Image 2.2 (1986): 141-158.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, February 18, 2004

By	Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Hat (Board book)

With another Scandinavian winter coming on, it is time for Lisa to pull her woolen clothes out of storage and air them out. However, when one of her woolen stockings blows off the line, it is found by an inquisitive hedgehog that promptly gets it stuck on the quills on his head! As poor Hedgie struggles to pull the stocking off his head, he bumps into each of the farm animals, who take great delight in laughing at him. But, it is Hedgie who has the last laugh, when he tells them that it is his new hat, which will protect him in the coming winter. And now, the other animals are looking for headgear of their own!

Children's author and illustrator Jan Brett is well known for her wonderfully authentic retelling of folktales. This story is entirely Ms. Brett's own, inspired by her pet hedgehog Buffy, and a visit to Jan Christian Anderson's picturesque home on Fuenan, Denmark. As always with Ms. Brett's books, the story is wonderful, and the illustrations are absolute works of art! I loved this book, and am eagerly awaiting the birth of my baby, so that I can have someone to share this book with. Highly recommended!