Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West - Hardcover

DK Publishing; Carlson, Laurie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0789424797 ISBN 13: 9780789424792

Publisher: Dk Pub, 1998

Synopsis

A picture book biography illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner tells the story of John Stetson, a hat maker who moved to the American West and created the "Boss of the Plains," a popular cowboy hat still worn today.

About this title

Review

Have you ever wondered where the Stetson hat got its name? John Batterson Stetson, a hatmaker from New Jersey, invented the wide-brimmed, tall-crowned, felt hat after moving west to seek his fortune during the gold rush. While he didn't find much actual gold, his invention was a veritable gold mine, as word of the Stetson (originally called the Boss of the Plains) spread like wildfire. It was the perfect hat for a cowpoke, as it shielded eyes from the sun and necks from the rain--and in a pinch could be used to carry water, fan a fire, or "impress a lady at the Saturday night dance." This attractive, Western-styled picture book tells the story of Stetson, from mild-mannered hatmaker to struggling, sunburned gold digger to the leader of a hatmaking dynasty! Author Laurie Carlson (of More than Moccasins) presents biographical and historical details in a jaunty, compelling voice, and reveals the fascinating process of hatmaking (not recommended for emotional rabbit owners!). Illustrator Holly Meade (who won a Caldecott Honor for Hush) blankets the pages with bold cutouts that embody the savory flavor of the wild American West. Cowboys and cowgirls alike will love hearing the story of how the West was won--by a hat. (Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis

From Publishers Weekly

This picture book, a mix of storytelling and brand-name placement, makes a legend of John Batterson Stetson and takes its title from a trademark cowboy hat. Stetson, the son of a New Jersey hatmaker, goes west in the 1850s. Although disappointed in his quest for gold, he soon finds that his family trade comes in handy. One spread shows, step-by-step, how he turns rabbit pelts into felt to make a snug tent, and later he applies the same technique to construct a broad-brimmed hat. When he returns east and resumes hatmaking, he designs the "Boss of the Plains" to guard Western heads from the "burning sunshine, drenching rain, whipping wind, or swirling snow" of the frontier. While the detailed sidebars may trip up the pacing of Carlson's (More Than Moccasins) narrative for some readers, accounts like the felt-making episode will satisfy even the most curious cowpoke. Meade (Hush!) composes busy paper, pencil and paint collages on speckled or pin-striped brown stock, suggestive of rocks, dust and Western apparel. She imagines Stetson as a grinning, rusty-bearded gent, and pictures folks of all ages trying on the signature hat. The fresh and lively art straddles East and West, adding panache to the facts. Young cowhands with a hankering for the Wild West will tip their hats to this tale. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dk Pub
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0789424797
• ISBN 13: 9780789424792
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32