Old Hat

POPPreS-Gr 2--A sweet and simple book with a strong message about being yourself. Harbet the dog has a favorite hat that his Nana knitted for him. It is a perfect fit and keeps him cozy in the cold weather. Unfortunately, the rest of the Harbet's friends find his cap to be passe and make it well known that it is an old one. So, the pup sets out to find the perfect new hat. Many of them make him happy with their outlandish style and special features. But none of them seem to please his friends, who move on to the next trend at lightning speed. Finally, while sitting on a humongous pile of discarded new hats, Harbet decides to ditch headgear all together and go out into the world as his fabulous self (keeping his original old hat for the winter months, of course)! His friends try, but they cannot outshine Harbet as his true self. VERDICT With its vibrant watercolor illustrations and witty storytelling style, this book is sure to please a wide variety of children. Its message of self love makes it a must-buy for any library collection.--Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh

Harbet is a shaggy dog who ventures out in the ear-flapped knitted cap his Nana has made for him. He meets a dinosaur, a big-billed bird, and a bear, all ostentatiously decked out in Carmen Miranda-style fruit-bowl hats. Oblivious to their own silly headwear, they laugh at Harbet's. "Old hat!" they chorus. Trying hard to keep up, Harbet picks out a fruit creation just like theirs ("It was low in fat, high in fiber, and could provide 80% of his daily vitamins"), but they've already moved on to hats shaped like traffic cones, and their derisive "Ha Ha's" fill up the big spreads. After the search for up-to-the-minute headgear ends in despair, the dog does something brave: "Harbet took off his hat." He's got a wonderful secret, and now the three friends are filled with envy. Readers can giggle at Gravett's sly prose and witty caricatures, but there's a lot to talk about, too. The three friends don't look mean; are they bullies? Is Harbet silly to worry, or is his anxiety easy to understand? There's more to this smart story than funny hats. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)