Hat On, Hat Off

by Theo Heras, Renne Benoit (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s time for this little one to go out. But which hat will he choose? Red hat, blue hat, striped hat, penguin hat, teddy bear hat? Once that decision is made, that hat just doesn’t stay on, while shoes are tied and jacket is buttoned. One more visit to the potty. And once this child is in the stroller at last, will that hat be on his head?

Toddlers will delight in choosing their own hats after they see this charming story. A simple, rhythmic text that reflects the everyday challenge of getting a toddler ready to go out. Written by Theo Heras and Illustrated with gentle humor by Renné Benoit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927485347
Publisher:	Pajama Press Inc.
Publication date:	09/09/2016
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	1 - 3 Years

About the Author

Theo Heras is a performer, speaker, book reviewer, and a Children’s Literature Specialist and librarian. Passionate about creating programming for babies and toddlers, Theo has recorded two albums: What Will We Do with the Baby-o?, and Seashell, Sing a Song to Me. Theo lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Renné Benoit is the award-winning illustrator of more than 15 books for children. She has won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award for Children’s Literature for Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion; the OLA Silver Birch Express Award for The Secret of the Village Fool; and the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize for Fraser Bear and Goodbye to Griffith Street. Big City Bees was nominated for the Governor General’s Award. Renné lives in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

Theo Heras’ text is not complex but that makes it easy to follow for those for whom Hat On, Hat Off is written, and the book is appropriately packaged for them: small size with padded hardcover, thick paper and rounded corners. Young children will…especially be hooked by Renné Benoit’s endearing illustrations….[A] joyful experience of style and taste and childish amusement.

CanLit for LittleCanadians

The simple and repetitive language used throughout the book works well for children who are just learning to speak...The illustrations do a great job of giving visual cues for children to follow along with. Overall, Hat On, Hat Off is a lovely little book for young children and parents.

CM Magazine

Hat On, Hat Off is a wonderful read-a-loud title for young children that should be incorporated into library and classroom collections without hesitation.

Resource Links

All libraries [should buy this book].

Youth Services Book Review

Theo Heras uses spare and simple language to tell a story that toddlers and preschoolers (and certainly their parents and caregivers) are sure to recognize….From the assortment of fun and funky hats piled up in a basket to the facial expressions of the toddler in question, [Renné] Benoit demonstrates an eye for details that matter.

Canadian Children's BookNews

Renné Benoit's softly hued, realistic watercolour illustrations extend Theo Heras's simple, conversational text....The book's design is very appealing to little hands, with a soft padded cover, and rounded corners. Infinitely relatable, Hat On, Hat Off is a warm, slice-of-life adventure that is perfect for sharing.

National Reading Campaign

Hats are a necessary accessory for little heads and ears going on outside adventures. The little boy in this book has a large assortment of hats to choose from; he stores them in a basket in his house. There are several tasks he needs to do before he leaves, including going to the bathroom, finding his trusty bunny, and more. With each task, a hat is removed and another takes its place. Will he ever make it outside with a hat on his head? It is common for very young children to dislike the feel of a hat on their heads and seek to remove it at any opportunity. Parents will recognize this struggle as they read the book with their little ones. The text in the book is brief, with only a few words on each page, but the pictures make up for what the text might lack. Within the pages, there is ample opportunity for readers to discuss what is happening in each page-spread, what might happen after the page is turned, and how it might make the reader feel. The characters in the book are a young boy and his older sister, both illustrated with dark skin and hair, helping to add to the diversity represented in children’s literature. Illustrations are even present on the endpapers, where each of the little boy’s hats is echoed again and again, creating a seek-and-find type of experience to add to the reading of the story. Built on sturdy, squishy board pages with a comforting, lightweight feel, this is an excellent book for small hands. Reviewer: Mary Pearl; Ages 1 to 3.

Children's Literature - Mary Pearl

10/01/2016
Toddler-PreS—A true-to-life tale of the struggles of getting a toddler ready to leave the house, this story stars a jovial tot who dons numerous hats and takes them off as he readies himself to go play. His pigtailed older sister attempts to help him put his coat, hat, and shoes on, but wait, he has to go to the bathroom, and the hat must come off. Once his sister dresses him again, "Where is bunny?" The current hat must come off as they search for the bunny. Finally dressed and in his stroller, he ends up wearing the same hat he started with, only to take it off as soon as he gets outside. Heras and Benoit tell a story that every parent will relate to, using toddler-friendly language and soft watercolor illustrations. The patterns of each hat are subtly woven into the narrative as a backdrop to many of the pages that contain text. VERDICT Recounting the delights and trials of toddlerhood, this charming offering makes for a fun read-aloud to share one-on-one or with a small group.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2016-06-28
What parent or caregiver hasn’t played the game of putting on and taking off a piece of clothing with a baby?Heras and Benoit cleverly take that experience and knit it into a story with a cute brown-skinned toddler getting ready to go outside with a pigtailed older sibling’s help with shoes and jacket sleeves. Sippy cup, pail and shovel, potty stop, and favorite stuffed animal are all required as well, but with each step the child takes one hat off and then puts another back on. The tot cycles through a hat with a bear’s face and ears, a striped hat with a pom-pom, a penguin hat with tassels, a green, knobbly hat with frog’s eyes, before returning to the bear hat—which ends up in a pile of leaves as soon as the children finally get outside. Even Bunny wears a hat (with carrots on it, of course). “Time to go out! / Need a hat. // Hats in basket / Red hat, green hat, striped hat / Which hat?” The staccato phrases are extended by the charming watercolor-and-digital illustrations that bleed off the page, creating an intimate, up-close effect. Soft colors and background patterns of knitted yarn (which only adults will notice) add a cozy feeling to the text pages. Heavyweight paper and rounded corners will help little hands to turn the pages easily. A seemingly simple story is greatly enhanced by nuanced, toddler-friendly details. (Picture book. 1-3)

Kirkus Reviews