The Upside Down Hat

January 17, 2022
A lanky, brown-skinned child wakes up in a mostly barren, palm tree–studded terrain with nothing but a teal-colored cowboy hat and the clothes on his back in this meandering fable by debut author Barr. As the child proceeds to search for what he’s lost—“his sewing needle/ and his pirate flag/ and his bright orange stilts,” as well as best friends Henry and Priscilla—the hat provides shelter from the rain and sun, a bucket to drink out of and store cherries in, a means to hide his identity and, when “he had only his hat/ and a dreadful, helpless feeling,” a receptacle for begging. Spare narration and subtle themes of hope and dedication guide the child forward, though his circumstances and the stark lack of community support may puzzle readers: “All day and all night the boy asked for help/ until the streets were empty// and his path was clear.” Zhang’s (Nigel and the Moon) characteristic style, rendered in ink, gouache, and watercolor, portray a brown-skinned cast against a vividly colored landscape of deserts, broken Grecian columns, cherry trees, and bustling open-air markets in this picture book about contentment amid loss. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.

February 15, 2022
A young boy's versatile hat is the only possession he's got and the only one he needs. Sitting on a hill surrounded by palm trees, a "boy who had everything" awakens to find all of his possessions gone, from his sewing needle to his birds to his orange stilts. Even his shoes appear to be missing. All that's left are the clothes on his body and a green hat next to him in the morning sun. What follows is a journey to find his belongings during which the boy discovers the many uses of the hat--the thing he now values the most--and what's really important. The unnamed boy takes "a thousand more steps" among "ten thousand strangers" on a quest that tries hard to seem mythical. There is a false note to the dream sequence leading to the muddled ending that leaves the story's moral unclear. Debut author Barr keeps the language simple and lyrical. Watercolor illustrations vibrating with wobbly lines suggest life and motion in unidentified places that include pillars in ruins and a vibrant outdoor market. The boy, portrayed as having light brown skin and living near a desert, immediately turns to begging with the hat when he can't find help, which could be viewed as stereotypical. The last double-page spread, however, depicting the boy on stilts clomping into the distance wearing the hat while his avian friends play in a birdbath, is a joyous conclusion that defies nitpicking. (This book was reviewed digitally). The boy's hat is wondrous and needed; the book is good but not essential. (Picture book. 5-8)

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