Henri's Hats

September 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-When Henri visits his grandfather, whom he calls Papa, the old man's dog runs away with Henri's hat, leading him on a chase through his grandfather's house to the attic, where he finds a trunk that is full of hats. As Henri tries on each one, he imagines himself having an adventure, from being a race car driver to taming animals in a circus. When Henri's grandfather finds him, Henri learns that all of the hats belong to Papa, who has had all of these adventures in real life. An author's note describes how Wu, an animator for Pixar and children's book illustrator, was inspired by his own father's adventures to create Henri's Hats. Wu's delightful watercolor illustrations bring this quiet story to life, with cute little jokes, such as when Henri brings his own lights and sounds with him to visit Papa. But readers may be left wishing that there was a little bit more to both Henri's and Papa's adventures. While the illustrations are gorgeous, the quiet story doesn't stand out much when there are so many other stories about imagination and hats. VERDICT A general purchase, particularly where the illustrator's works are popular or there is demand for the series.-Mimi Powell, Library Systems and Services, Kissimmee, FL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Kids rarely know all the hats their grandfathers have worn, but Henri gets a whole trunkful of history in the attic chest of his Grand-Papa.Young Henri and his mother go for a visit to his Grand-Papa's (known to Henri as Papa). The resident dog grabs Henri's cap and runs upstairs with it, all the way to the attic. There sits a chest that is full of all sorts of hats: a race car driver's, a deep-sea diver's, a ringmaster's, a ship's captain's, a pilot's helmet. And with each one that Henri dons, he has a little imaginary adventure in the deep, high in the sky, on the ocean waves. Finally, Grand-Papa finds Henri and tells the little boy that he wore these hats in real life, as a racer and sailor and aviator and deep-sea diver. He then leads Henri up the circular staircase to the widow's walk and points to the moon. He had wished to have an adventure there, but maybe Henri could do it for him. Wu's storytelling is crisp and cinematic, and his artwork reflects his day job at Pixar Studios, but it is the promise of life holding adventure that drives this book. Grand-Papa had those adventures of a lifetime but now is an old and creaky gentleman, so if this old geezer could have had all those exciting times, just think what is in store for readers. Henri, his mother, and Grand-Papa all have pale skin.A book full of the promise of remarkable experiences to come. (Picture book. 4-8)

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