Old Hat

In today's world where materialism, consumerism and the pressure to be keep up with change can be overwhelming, especially for children, this story carries and important message. Its clarity and simplicity make it accessible for even young children. Herbert had a hat. It was special because it was knitted just for him by his Nana when he was little. It was warm and cosy and kept his ears toasty. Unfortunately, Herbert's beloved old hat was, well, 'Old Hat!' Eager to keep up with the other animals (who all have the latest hat), Herbert bought a new hat. Fashionable, fresh and fun, it was the latest, most up-to-datest hat! Herbert was ready to strut his stuff, show off his new hat and impress the other animals. But, it turned out that his new hat was, well, 'Old Hat!' The story continues with Herbert buying a string of new hats - each delightfully ridiculous, completely impractical and utterly absurd - researching the latest hat based fashions and ensuring he was at the front of the queue for Hat Unveiling Day. However, despite spending money on hat after hat that didn't do anything really 'hatish' and certainly was not warm and cosy, keeping his ears toasty, Herbert was always one step behind the other animals. Each time, he was 'Old Hat!' and the other animals laughed and laughed. Finally Herbert decides that enough was enough. SO, he did something that none of the other animals had done before. He took his hat off. And, suddenly, he was no longer, 'Old Hat!' By being himself - in all of his feathered, multi-coloured glory - he had unintentionally set trends. Not that he was worried about trends anymore. Herbert was proud to be himself. And, his very special, old hat would be stored carefully away until winter when he would need it to do its 'hatish' job- be warm and cosy and keep his ears toasty. This fun story will have readers laughing out loud as the pages are turned to reveal the next in the latest hat fashions! The bright, lively illustrations are an absolute joy. Valuable time could be spent exploring the message within the book and how the animals behave: the pressure Herbert feels to wear the same hat as all of the others; how the other animals tease him. An extension to this could be a debate about school uniform. School uniform makes sure everyone wears the same so, even though it eliminates the pressure to have the latest trends, it also does not allow for the individuality that Herbert so wonderfully expressed at the end of the story. Children could also design and then advertise their own completely ludicrous hat. Picture book / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Torie Walton, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 5+