Miss Hunnicutt's Hat

by Jeff Brumbeau, Gail de Marcken (Illustrator)

From the creators of the 310,000-copy New York Times bestseller THE QUILTMAKER'S GIFT, a delightful celebration of the eccentric in all of us!

Miss Hunnicutt is wearing her new hat from Paris--and it has a CHICKEN on it! Everyone knows you can't wear a chicken on your head!

The prim little town of Littleton is in a tizzy preparing for a visit from the Queen. So when Miss Hunnicutt steps out in her new hat, the stuffy townsfolk are scandalized. The chicken has to go! But plucky Miss Hunnicut stands up for her right to wear what she likes. And when the Queen's arrival prompts a surprising turn of events, the townspeople learn to celebrate the silly eccentricities that make life interesting.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

It was Jeff’s exposure to independent, self-sufficient women, Jeff believes, that later inspired him to write children’s stories that featured strong women, as in his first two books, The Man-In-The-Moon In Love and The Quiltmaker’s Gift.

Growing up, Jeff was interested in tales with a strong moral base, especially those found in eighteenth and nineteenth century children’s literature. In his stories, he wanted to create the same vibrancy and ethical values that are found in the classic tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers. For The Quiltmaker’s Gift, he selected the quilt as a symbol for the theme of giving and sharing, because a quilt represents the ultimate gift. It offers both practical warmth and artistic beauty.

Reviews

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first question while reading this was why was the chicken happy to sit on Miss Hunnicutt's head? Especially with all that went on, I don't think a chicken would stay on top of someone's head! :) But that really isn't the point of the story. Miss Hunnicutt wants to wear a hat with a live chicken on it. The people in her town think it is silly and want her to take the hat off - especially because the queen is coming for a visit. The uproar over the hat causes all sorts of commotion in the town until the queen finally arrives.

The illustrations for this can be a bit overwhelming! Every page has a LOT of detail and a lot of color. While I do think they go well with the story, they aren't my favorite. I generally like lots of detail, but these illustrations feel a bit too busy for me. This wouldn't be a great read-aloud in a classroom or library situation, both because of the illustrations and the large amount of text.

I did enjoy the names of the people in Miss Hunnicutt's town, though! Her fussy neighbor is Mrs. McSnoot. Her nosy neighbor is Miss Bisbee. The nervous neighbor is Miss Whimple, and the pompous mayor is Mayor McTwiddle. Fun names for a funny story!

[Chelsea Keidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Hunnicutt’s Hat by Jeff Brumbeau, a 4th grade reading level book, would be a great read in any classroom above a 2nd grade reading level. This book is about a woman who usually does what everyone else wants but when she find a hat that she just adores, she decides she will stand her ground and wear it even if nobody else likes it. In preparation for the Queen, she wore her hat regardless of what others thought and it wound up creating a common interest for the Queen that lead to her being invited to a party with her because the Queen also had a hat like Miss Hunnicutt’s and they became friends. In this book, you learn about standing your ground when you feel strongly about something and how it is okay to do so, even if other people do not agree with you. Even when it feels like you are the only person that feels that way, chances are, you are not. I think this would be a great lesson for kids to learn at any grade or a trait that they can continue to develop over time. This book would be a great way to introduce signposts such as again and again, contrasts and contradictions, and aha moments.

[Rachel Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is perfect to show students/children that it is okay to be different! Throughout this silly tale, Miss Hunnicutt gets picked on for her special chicken hat. Although people gave her a hard time, she still stood up for herself and pointed out how we each have special little things about us that make us unique! I would recommend this text to students in grades 2-5.

[Miriam Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my picture books. With colorful and whimsical illustrations, the readers are taken to the world of Littleton, where anything can be worn as a hat. As the town of Littleton falls deeper into confusion and chaos over a particular hat, a special visitor comes around to settle the dispute.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this boo, so very fun!

[Melissa B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Marni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love who you are and be yourself

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and silly! Good message about being yourself and not caring what others think.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel free to think for yourself, have an opinion, know what you believe, and express yourself! This story of timid Miss Hunnicutt reminds me of all those things. I love her decision to express herself and stick to her decisions, even in the midst of criticism and ridicule--of the entire town... including the mayor. As she says, "I think I might have the right to wear what I like....I'd like to wear a chicken. And I'd like to wear it on my head." A hilarious tale that ends as it often does in real life. An applicable "cautionary" tale in so many ways!

[Aaron Wyckoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Hunnicutt usually doesn't like to make a fuss and always does what everyone wants her to, but when the people of Littleton object to her wearing her new hat (complete with a live chicken on top), she stands her ground. The story is excellent and is supported by beautiful watercolor illustrations full of action, minute detail, and hidden bonuses. One catastrophe after another befalls the townspeople, not so much because of Miss Hunnicutt's hat but because of their reactions to it. This is a great book for children and adults.

[Roxann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations! The story might make some children laugh. There's a woman who wears a chicken on her hat and goes all through the town. The story really has lovely meaning. The woman knows what she likes and will do it, even when others try to talk her out of it.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really care for this story. The illustrations were very well done but I thought the story was much longer than it needed to be.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations. The author always has a good point.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story. Great pictures. It had a good moral as well.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are wonderful in this book about a lady that knows what she likes and doesn't care what anyone else thinks...even if what she likes is to wear a chicken on her head.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story of a lady who wore a hat with a chicken on top.

[Ann Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great child's book about being individuals!

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
ridiculous and funny story
great illustrations

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly entertaining and fun to read. I found myself smiling the entire time I was reading. I like the fact the Miss Hunnicutt stands her ground.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to read to 2nd graders to lead into a discussion about speaking up for yourself with an assertive voice and confident body language.

[Jennifer Hortman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeleine just laughs and laughs!