A Man and His Hat

An old man becomes quite crabby when he cannot find his old shabby hat

PreSchool-- An uninspired poem from Australia. The plodding verse recounts the tale of an old man who searches everywhere for his hat only to discover that the cat is sitting on it. Terrett obviously devoted a great deal of time to creating the miniature clay figures in Peters's photographs, and his skill in the unusual medium is admirable. Too bad the energy was wasted on such a trite text. --Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Parr's simple verse concerns an old man's search for his beloved shabby hat. Illustrated with photographed clay figures, this picture book deserves applause for its unusual approach. The clay animation achieves a surprising wealth of detail and color--delicately blooming roses, an overflowing bag of fresh fruit, a bedroom complete with shawl, scarf and teddy bear. Unfortunately, the crabby old man and his gentle wife are rather unattractive (particularly when the man smiles "discreetly"), and the orange and pink decor is insipid. Similarly, while simplicity and rhythm make Parr's verse ideal for chanting out loud, her language and ideas are rather limited. The cat (who sits on the hat), with his solid charm, is the book's saving grace, and children will turn most often to pages where he appears. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In doggerel with plenty of amusing rhymes and repetitions for beginning readers, the story of an old man who looks everywhere for his hat and finally finds it under his sleeping cat. Of most interest here are the clean, bright illustrations-- photos of artfully sculpted plasticene--the expressive figures skillfully adjusted to create each new scene. Mildly amusing; the medium steals the show. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.