You Must Bring a Hat

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Hindley’s attention to detail - like the snail with a top hat and the worm with a scarf - is fantastic! You certainly get your money’s worth your money’s worth in her colourful scenes, which have the business - and craziness - of Richard Scarry’s work. Purpose: Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. The ID is used for targeted ads.

The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... Kate Hindley – Illustrator The narrator, a small boy, is going to the “biggest, bestest, hattiest party of all time” according to the invitation. But, he does not own a hat!The Primary School Library Alliance is calling on the government to match-fund the private investment it has brought into helping primary schools c...

Coffee house Caffè Nero has announced the 16-strong shortlist for the inaugural Nero Book Awards, recognising the outstanding books of the past 12...

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The only rule for attending this party was … you MUST bring a hat. But what if you didn’t own a hat? Will bringing a monkey wearing a hat be enough? Find out in this tale that builds to a gloriously quirky, hilarious ending. *********************************** “Mounting exasperation, preposterous rules, and just plain fun make this party a surefire hit.” Kirkus review YOU MUST BRING A HAT When the MC is invited to a party, there is only one rule: he MUST bring a hat. Of course, as is always the case with dress codes, putting it into practice is always more challenging than it sounds in theory. (How many of us involuntarily wince at the phrase "business casual?") What I love about this story is that it's silly but ALSO it has range! It's funny. It's cumulative. It's about rule-following but also how ridiculous some rules can be. The art is gorgeous, hilarious, and layered--each time you read it, you notice more "clues." In short, it's eminently re-readable. I imagine it would be especially popular for the higher end of the picture book age range, where getting to go to a party feels like EVERYTHING. Alas, our MC owns no hats--and the local haberdashery is plumb out. What happens next is a series of creative stopgaps that seem to create more problems than they solve--especially when faced with a seemingly ever-evolving set of stringent requirements from a strict mole bouncer at the door. (Spoiler: Or IS IT the door??)

And the local hat shop has sold out! In fact, the only hat to be found belonged to a monkey. But the monkey was wearing it – and he wouldn’t give it up! So the boy was ‘left with no choice’ … he must take the hat-wearing monkey along to Nigel’s party! The invitation clearly stated, after all, that ‘ you may bring as many extra guests as you wish’.) Eagle-eyed readers will be able to spot the reason this crazy cascade of silliness happens in the first place (but even those who don't will enjoy the moment of revelation). The illustrations are charming, with just the right mix of whimsy and emotion. The bunnies in their underwear are especially cute. (And why are they in their underwear? There's a very good reason for that.) Dapo Adeola, Tracy Darnton, Joseph Coelho and Chitra Soundar are among the 19 authors and illustrators longlisted for the Inclusive Books for Child... Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark...