Buy My Hats - Hardcover

Horowitz, Dave

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399252754 ISBN 13: 9780399252754

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Frank and Carl have plenty of hats to sell, and their booth is open for business . . . but no one is buying! Everyone is crazy about Blue Monkey?s skateboards, Mister Pig?s Cup O? Mud and Big Ox?s remote-control robot cell phones?so what?s their secret?

Dave Horowitz?s cast of crazy characters is sure to delight young readers. The world of retail has never been more entertaining than in the story of these two friends determined to understand what on earth their customers really need.

About this title

About the Author

Dave Horowitz wrote andillustrated Beware of Tigers, The Ugly Pumpkin and Soon,Baboon, Soon. He lives in Rosendale, New York.
Dave Horowitz wrote andillustrated Beware of Tigers, The Ugly Pumpkin and Soon,Baboon, Soon. He lives in Rosendale, New York.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3—When Frank and Carl set up a hat stand at the City Market, they expect to make a lot of sales. They are disappointed, however, and watch sadly as their neighbors make money hand over fist. Blue Monkey sells skateboards, Mister Pig sells Cup o' Mud, and Big Ox sells remote-control robot cell phones. When Frank and Carl ask their peers for the secret to success, they're repeatedly told that the products are in demand. Frank and Carl lower their prices daily until something happens that finally makes everyone in town want a hat. Horowitz, with his trademark wit, makes readers laugh out loud with the wacky pairing of a fish and a bear as best friends. The colorful cartoonlike illustrations are at once simple and sophisticated, and include amusing thought bubbles and detail. Best for one-on-one or independent reading.—Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

As in Jon Agee's Nothing (2007), consumer trending makes entertaining picture-book material in this humorous offering. Frank and Carl want to sell hats, but no one wants to buy them. Customers are happy—sometimes deliriously so—to spend money on skateboards, grande cups of Mud, and trendy Remote Control Robot Cell Phones. But not hats. As they slash prices, Frank and Carl wonder what they are doing wrong as salesmen. But after a change in the weather, they find themselves with a marketing opportunity that rewards their patience and shifts their inventory. Horowitz's funny, expressive illustrations drive the narrative. Frank, an oversized bear in an undersized bowler, and Carl, a fish sporting a Rollie Fingers mustache, make quite the comic pair and anchor the story of retail tenacity. A peanut gallery of customers, including three blind mice, a well-coiffed ox, and a pointy-headed woodpecker, provide commentary and perspective, as well as laughs. Whether or not they share the characters' entrepreneurial spirit, children will enjoy this offering's silliness, charm, and wisdom. Grades K-2. --Kara Dean

Edition details

• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399252754
• ISBN 13: 9780399252754
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Horowitz Dave
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32