Hats!

Plot Summary

When a young boy enters a hat shop and sees there is a sale that day, he carefully chooses the perfect hat. Proudly wearing his new hat, he walks through town. When he reaches the park, a bully tells him, "Dumb hat!" The boy is crushed--is his hat really dumb? But other kids who come along think the hat is pretty cool, and in a surprise twist, the boy and his new friends turn the tables on the bully.

Reviews

"The brightly colored, folk-art paintings keep the action moving. Luthardt gives the hats and the cast of diverse characters who wear them distinct personalities. The soft edges of the illustrations create a warm mood even when the bully does not. The pictures clearly show the children's emotions, including the boy's joy when he finds his special hat and the doubt and hurt feelings caused by the unpleasant encounter." School Library Journal

"Luthardt's art conveys the kids' ranges of emotions, and he laudably resists the urge to spell out his worthy message."
The Horn Book Guide

"His style in this particular book shows his telents; the illustrations are created with bright, attractive color combinations and his use of lines, patterns, and shadows encourages reades to take time to really pay attention to the art that creates this story."
Children's Literature

Associated Keywords
bully, bullying, friends, friendship