Mop Top

by Don Freeman

From the author of the bestselling picture book Corduroy, comes a story of one boy who refused to get a haircut.

Moppy is a five-year-old boy who knows one thing: He does not want to get his hair cut. But when Moppy is mistaken for an actual mop at the grocery store, he realizes he's got to face the barber.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Humor

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Don Freeman was a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, children's book author, and illustrator. He was born in San Diego, California, attended high school in Missouri, and later moved to New York City where he studied etching with John Sloan.
Frequent subjects included Broadway theatre, politics, and the circus. He was also a jazz musician, and the brother of circus entrepreneur Randy Freeman.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight]

A little boy is not too thrilled at loosing all of his hair and getting a trim, but then something comical happens that gets him running to the barbershop!

Ages: 4 - 8

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[Erica]

The little adventures this boy goes on are adorable! I can personally relate to this book becuase I have a family member who absolutely hates getting his hair cut. He would rather deal with having a "mop top" than going to get his hair cut at the barber shop.
This book is a fun little text for children to read. It is sure to keep children interested in the quirky little boy's adventures as they flip through each page.
I also enjoyed the illustrations! The way the pictures emphasized the color red through the story allows you to focus in on the main points in the story ie. Moppy's fuzzy red hair. A great book to read at the barber shop/hair salon, while children are waiting as well!

[Elisha]

This book was a reading example as my class learned about authors. Mop Top was about a boy that had long red hair that he did not want to get cut. When his mom sends him to the barber, Marty detours to a store and hides behind moms. This lady is shopping for a mop and grabs his mop top. He screams and runs to the barber to change his hair. After he gets his hair cut he feels like he's entered a new world!

[raafi]

This book tells a red-haired boy who hesitates about having his hair cut.

[Jessica]

A boy has a wild mop of hair, and he does not want to get a hair cut. But when a lady tries to buy him to mop her floors, he has a change of heart and goes to the barber like his mother told him. I liked the illustrations and the story.

[Christy Johnson]

This is a story about a boy who really needs a haircut! There's a lot of rhyming and play on words. The barber is named Mr. Barberelli.

[Breanna Samuels]

This book has a great storyline about a young boy who really needs a haircut. I have a personal connection with this story because of my brother who never ever wanted to get his haircut. He always threw a fit and made a big fuss about getting his haircut so Mop Top is a book that he could really relate too. The setting of this book is from a long time ago and the mother sends the boy on his own to the barber shop to get a haircut. The ending is sweet and could teach a good lesson to my brother about having shaggy mop like hair!

[Becca Bolerjack]

Mop Top is about a boy who does not want to cut ip his hair, but it's so long he looks like a mop. Throughout the story he fights cutting his hair, but after being mistaken for a real mop, he decides it would be best to cut it. This story is very silly, and many children could relate to it thinking they are right about something but realizing they may be wrong. The illustrations are very simple, but the pop of red adds a lot to the story because they draw your eye to the main focus and help tell the story.

[Bobbi Jo]

Mop Top
Rate: 5
Great illustrations of the little boy and the little town. I loved how he only used orange, black and white made the focal point of the story his hair and the things the author wanted you to noticed. Cute story defiantly shows boys will be boys and they like to do their own thing and listens to no one. Funny how the old woman picked him as a mop something every kid would laugh at. Good book for haircuts for kids and something they can really can relate to.

[Katelin Hoefler]

I think children could easily relate to this story. Majority of kids don't want to do things that their parents want them to do like cutting their hair. I personally like the illustrations and how the red popped out on every page. This reminds me of one of my kids that I watch over. He has such long hair and refuses to cut it, even though it's always in this face. I'm just waiting for the day that he gets it cut.

[Sarah]

I loved this book so much as a child, I stole it from my school library and refused to give it back. My parents made me return it and I wasn't allowed to take it out again.

I think about it as an adult and have such good and happy feelings. But don't ask me why, because now I barely remember what it is about. Just gives me the warm fuzzes.

[Fourth Grade]

Mop top
Don freeman
This book is about a boy who goes to the barber and tries to not go. Then he hides behind a bunch of mops and a lady pulls his hair, so he goes to the barber and gets his hair cut! I will recommend this book to kids in first grade and especially ones with RED hair who are in first grade!

[Hanne Heimonen]

TIt's a story about a boy who doesn't want to cut his hair before he gets mistaken as a mop. The illustrations of this book are simple but appealing. The red color keeps popping up and I think children will find that funny. The story is also silly and makes children easy to relate to it. Children often think they are right about something but realize afterwards that they might be wrong anyway.

[Boyce]

This was one of my two favorite books when I was young. It's about an adventurous little boy who doesn't really want to get his hair cut. After an accident at the grocer he decides it's best to go to the barber. I love the illustrations and the wording is so whimsical. It's best for children 3 to 6. My 3 yr old grandson loves it.

[Cheryl]

Dated, of course. I can't think of anyone who would look twice at a kid with hair that length, and of course mops are no longer sold out of barrels etc. But the pictures of the child's movements are masterful... the energy of his hops & skips and interactions are wonderfully alive. And the encounters with other things that need and/or are getting trimmed are a hoot.

LFL find.

[Addyson Barr]

I thought this was a cute story about a boy needing a haircut. I thought it was funny how he would always get distracted on his way to the barber shop. This was a funny book that little boys could relate to. I also loved the ending when he finally decided to get a haircut.

[Crystal]

This book was read in my college class. I enjoyed this silly book. It's a great book when talking about children being stubborn, and then changing their minds for the better.

[Danni Green]

I particularly appreciated the comforting use of internal rhyme in the text.

[Ammie]

My favorite Freeman so far.

[Deana Pittman]

My 1st and 2nd graders loved it...especially the puppy. 😊

[Lynn Davidson]

There was a boy whom everyone called Moppy because of his mop of tousled red hair. The day before his birthday party, his mother sent him to the barber for a haircut. Moppy delayed and made excuses for not needing a haircut, but then his head was mistaken for a mop.
Funny story with a great ending and wonderful illustrations.

[Anthony]

An almost six year old lad who needed a hair cut, tried everything not get one. His mother insisted that he get one for his birthday party. On his trip to the barbershop he was convinced that he didn't need a hair cut until something happened that changed his attitude.

[Judy]

Haircuts have never been in issue with us, but I'm sure some kids would identify with this young red-head. I'll see what my 4.5 year old nephew has to say about this story.

[Eric]

Mop Top doesn't want to get his hair cut until a lady in the grocery store confuses him with a mop.

[Heidi Kuipers]

Great book, especially if you need to get your son to agree to a haircut

[Heather Moss]

Another book I adored when I was a little kid. I thought it was so funny.

[Janelle Martin]

A current favorite of my almost 3 yr old and probably my favorite Don Freeman book. I love the way he mixes rhyme in his prose, like "roly-poly Mister Barberoli."

[Blaine Riesberg]

No Karen, I do not need a haircut!

[Rochelle Sondae]

I rather like this book however we won't be carrying it anymore. Don Freeman is best known, in our store, for Corduroy and regretfully he doesn't have the same "we'll buy anything this author touches" appeal as Margaret Wise Brown.
The story is about a boy that is in need of a haircut so at the tender age of six he is sent down to the barber by himself with enough money to cover the bill. He sees many other things along the way that are in need of a trim. His hair is not one of them. Luckily an unfortunate incident in the hardware store convinces him that he does indeed need a haircut.

[Maria]

This could be seen as an issue book since I know that there are kids who don't like having their hair cut and it's not addressed very often in picture books. The books has the usual strong Freeman illustrations but some of his other stories are nearer and dearer to my heart. I also get a certain undercurrent of a time when a good boy would never have long hair.