I Had a Favorite Hat

Illustration and book design for a whimsical story of resourceful creativity by Boni Ashburn.
Art direction by Chad Beckerman, published by ABRAMS Kids.

Published in 2015

 

“This testament to creativity is something of a scrapbook itself, using a variety of mediums (from graphite and ink to cut paper and thread) to create a flurry of dress up and crafts. The movement of time is clearly depicted through the changing of seasons–there’s a swirl of leaves and Halloween decorations as fall comes, and an eclectic wintery mix splashes across the page at Christmastime. Multicultural characters and the rhythmic, repetitious phrases make this an excellent pick for read-alouds.”

—Booklist Reviews


“A stylish little girl plucks her favorite sun hat from the ‘Summery Things pile’ and, ‘with a little of this...and a little of that,’ repurposes it throughout the year. Ashburn’s peppy text with (irregular) internal rhymes matches the levity and frilliness of Ng’s delicate mixed-media art. A lively offering for young fashionistas and DIY-ers.”

The Horn Book Guide


“K-Gr 2—A young girl has a favorite beach hat that she can’t bear to part with at summer’s end. Her mother lets her keep it out of storage and is amazed by her daughter’s creative flair as she keeps the hat fresh throughout the year. Halloween, Christmas, and a birthday celebration are a sample of the special occasions in which the embellished hat plays an important part. The energetic and engaging illustrations, created using graphite, cut paper, watercolor, crayon, and Photoshop, invite perusal. As she did in I Had a Favorite Dress (Abrams, 2011), Ashburn plays with rhyming words: ‘With a little of this… and a little of that… my hat makes a divine little valentine!’ VERDICT: Children will enjoy the idea of taking a hat and—with a little tape, ribbon, and ingenuity—decorating it to help celebrate important days.”

Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, for School Library Journal

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