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Kat Hats: A Picture Book
Thermal Herman 6-7/8 is the top Kat Hat in Matt Katz’s company. A trained cat who is able to form himself into specialty hats, Thermal Herman is world-renowned for his warmth and agility. When a friend wanders off with a brain freeze and finds themself in peril, Thermal Herman must rush in to save the day.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
144 books429 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 25, 2022
The longer you stay in any business, the more powerful the urge to start kvetching about how-things-used-to-be and the-state-of-the-world-today. Nostalgia’s a helluva drug. It can convince you that everything in the past was sunshine and roses and everything happening today is trash. I, alas, am not immune. No one is, but I think that as long as you keep your senses alert, you can notice the things that are happening right now that are heads and tails better than they were in the past. Take picture books, for instance. Now if I were an average joe who walked into a random Barnes & Nobles bookstore and aimed for that wall o’ picture books they have, it might plunge me into a state of despair. You are familiar with the celebrity that writes a book for kids because, they say, “I looked at the books and there was nothing good”? Yeah, that’s just because they were looking at that wall. I’d estimate that roughly 70% of the stuff being published in a given year is fairly innocuous and forgettable. In the past it was expensive for a single publisher to produce so many picture books. These days the publishers have merged and gotten bigger and richer, and there are more small independent presses, cranking out their own titles. In the midst of all this production drops the latest collaboration between author Daniel Pinkwater and illustrator Aaron Renier. There are tangents, superfluous details, asides, and moments of pure random energy. In short, a picture book that will convince you that while the state of the world may go up in flames shortly, at least the state of some contemporary and current picture books is just fine.
Meet Matt Katz, creator and president of Kat Hats Incorporated. Before you make any assumptions about him, let’s clarify a couple things from the start. First off, whatever else you might believe, Matt is a cat trainer. He trains cats, specifically, to be hats. Are you in need of a Tabby Apple Cap, a Persian Kettle Brim, or an Assyrian Fedora? Kat Hats has your ticket. Matt rents the cats out to one and all, and lives behind the shop with his wife Glamorella, kids Pocketmouse and Lambkin, and the pride and joy of Kat Hats, kitty Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths. All is well until the day their friend Old Thirdbeard comes with terrible news. His mommy, Chickarina the witch, is missing! She was last seen eating an “extra-large jumbo frozen fruitsicle, blueberry and avocado flavor” while heading up the pointy mountain known as the Witch’s Spitz. Brain freeze is almost certainly her fate, but have no fear! Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths to the rescue! Will he be able to get there in time? Will his ability to imitate any hat come into play? Stay tuned, gentle readers, to see how our favorite crew gets out of this sticky (and cold) situation.
It was to my infinite shock that I discovered that “Kat Hats” marks the third collaborative project between Pinkwater and Renier. I say “shock” because the last time I read a Pinkwater book it was back in 2012 when he wrote Bushman Lives and the last time I read a Renier was in 2010 ( The Unsinkable Walker Bean). As such, I’d sort of mentally locked them away into their own little separate compartments. Renier I associated with the magnificent nightmares of his graphic novels series. Pinkerwater, meanwhile, I sort of figured was bored with children’s books. Back in 2017 the New York Review reprinted his novel Lizard Music and that convinced me that that was how we’d see him from now on. Reprinted. Rediscovered. Not going so far as to produce wholly new, never seen before, content though.
It’s a bit of a pity that it’s not mentioned in the book anywhere, but in interviews, Pinkwater has made mention of the fact that at least a little of this book (which takes place in Pretzelburg) is an ode to an old George Carlson comic called The Pie-Face Prince of Old Pretzleburg. I took a gander at some selections from it online and it’s a gorgeous piece of 1940s color comics. A surreal storyline provides an almost too perfect origin story for Pinkwater’s own wackadoodle sensibility. Kat Hats, however, has a tone entirely of its own. Repeatedly, I found myself reading lines that just begged to be read out loud (preferably to a kid). Listen to this: “Kat Hats Incorporated does not make little hats for cats to wear. That would be adorable but it is not the business of Matt Katz and his company.” Or the line, “These cats are not sold, but rented to mountain climbers, adventurers, Arctic explorers, and people living in Chicago.” With a hat tip to the designer, the part that says “and people living in Chicago” is separated out and appears slightly lower than the rest of the text on the page. Someday I want to see someone give a talk on Making Jokes Work: How Art Directors and Designers Heighten Humor With Strategic Typography. I mean, I’d go see it. But I digress.
Since I’d not been keeping up with Renier, and really only ever thought of him in terms of his Walker Beans, this art was a consistent delight. By all accounts he’s influenced by “Gustaf Tenggren and the Golden Books sort of vibe”, hence his work with gouache paintings here. Tenggren, meanwhile, is best remembered for his work on The Poky Little Puppy (once the best-selling picture book in America for decades upon decades) though his range extended far beyond those Little Golden Books and even the Disney films he helped to create (my personal favorite of his: The Old Mill). And while I would usually pair Pinkwater with Caleb Brown whenever possible, Renier makes a rather inspired choice.
In this book, Aaron fills his pages with … I was going to write “whimsy” but that’s not really it. “Chaos” sounds too judgmental. “Wild” too tame. Essentially, he’s unafraid of a cacophony of splendor and wild interpretations. His illustration of a neon Kat Hats sign is so realistic that I had to peer in close to make sure he hadn’t gone all Red Nose Studio on us and slipped in a model. In interviews, Pinkwater has praised the way that Renier can take his text and give it a wholly new spin. Under his brush there’s suddenly a small subplot at the beginning involving a little green man who misunderstands what it is Kat Hats does and wants to design hats in the shape of cats for them. Renier has created a whole green goblin-esque variety of supporting characters, actually, that live alongside the humans. It was Renier that decided that Glamorella Katz (think Iman or Grace Jones) would never wear the same outfit from one picture to the next. He gave the kids Pocketmouse (seen in a wheelchair) and Lambkin a fascination with the circus and circus tricks that never impedes the storyline, only supports it. Finally, and I know that this is an odd thing to point out but it really struck me, Renier sets this book in a snowy winter. This is not always the first choice of your average everyday illustrator. Snow, in all its negative spacey glory, can be exceedingly hard to do well. Renier revels in it. Add in the sheer number of side details (like Glamorella’s spare outfits hanging in the laundry room) and you have yourself a book that could be read to a kid 100, 200, 300 times and still provide new visual details on every go through.
Sometimes you just want to read a picture book to a kid where everyone involved in the project loved doing it from start to finish. Pinkwater’s having a blast, tapping into his iconic oddities. Renier’s pulling out all the stops on every single page, cranking up the unconventional to 11. And I have faith that when a book is having this much fun, kids are going to respond to that. I may be slightly influenced by the fact that my own kids (aged 10 and 7) just keep coming back to this book whenever I set it down. My 10-year-old was even keen to correct me on some of the finer details, prior to writing this review, (“No, mom, they just rent the cats. They don’t sell them). Younger kids will love the basic premise in and of itself. From its endpapers to its bookflaps to the cover beneath the jacket, every inch of Kat Hats delights. For those in a mood for adventure and cute cat fashion, none compare.
Meet Matt Katz, creator and president of Kat Hats Incorporated. Before you make any assumptions about him, let’s clarify a couple things from the start. First off, whatever else you might believe, Matt is a cat trainer. He trains cats, specifically, to be hats. Are you in need of a Tabby Apple Cap, a Persian Kettle Brim, or an Assyrian Fedora? Kat Hats has your ticket. Matt rents the cats out to one and all, and lives behind the shop with his wife Glamorella, kids Pocketmouse and Lambkin, and the pride and joy of Kat Hats, kitty Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths. All is well until the day their friend Old Thirdbeard comes with terrible news. His mommy, Chickarina the witch, is missing! She was last seen eating an “extra-large jumbo frozen fruitsicle, blueberry and avocado flavor” while heading up the pointy mountain known as the Witch’s Spitz. Brain freeze is almost certainly her fate, but have no fear! Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths to the rescue! Will he be able to get there in time? Will his ability to imitate any hat come into play? Stay tuned, gentle readers, to see how our favorite crew gets out of this sticky (and cold) situation.
It was to my infinite shock that I discovered that “Kat Hats” marks the third collaborative project between Pinkwater and Renier. I say “shock” because the last time I read a Pinkwater book it was back in 2012 when he wrote Bushman Lives and the last time I read a Renier was in 2010 ( The Unsinkable Walker Bean). As such, I’d sort of mentally locked them away into their own little separate compartments. Renier I associated with the magnificent nightmares of his graphic novels series. Pinkerwater, meanwhile, I sort of figured was bored with children’s books. Back in 2017 the New York Review reprinted his novel Lizard Music and that convinced me that that was how we’d see him from now on. Reprinted. Rediscovered. Not going so far as to produce wholly new, never seen before, content though.
It’s a bit of a pity that it’s not mentioned in the book anywhere, but in interviews, Pinkwater has made mention of the fact that at least a little of this book (which takes place in Pretzelburg) is an ode to an old George Carlson comic called The Pie-Face Prince of Old Pretzleburg. I took a gander at some selections from it online and it’s a gorgeous piece of 1940s color comics. A surreal storyline provides an almost too perfect origin story for Pinkwater’s own wackadoodle sensibility. Kat Hats, however, has a tone entirely of its own. Repeatedly, I found myself reading lines that just begged to be read out loud (preferably to a kid). Listen to this: “Kat Hats Incorporated does not make little hats for cats to wear. That would be adorable but it is not the business of Matt Katz and his company.” Or the line, “These cats are not sold, but rented to mountain climbers, adventurers, Arctic explorers, and people living in Chicago.” With a hat tip to the designer, the part that says “and people living in Chicago” is separated out and appears slightly lower than the rest of the text on the page. Someday I want to see someone give a talk on Making Jokes Work: How Art Directors and Designers Heighten Humor With Strategic Typography. I mean, I’d go see it. But I digress.
Since I’d not been keeping up with Renier, and really only ever thought of him in terms of his Walker Beans, this art was a consistent delight. By all accounts he’s influenced by “Gustaf Tenggren and the Golden Books sort of vibe”, hence his work with gouache paintings here. Tenggren, meanwhile, is best remembered for his work on The Poky Little Puppy (once the best-selling picture book in America for decades upon decades) though his range extended far beyond those Little Golden Books and even the Disney films he helped to create (my personal favorite of his: The Old Mill). And while I would usually pair Pinkwater with Caleb Brown whenever possible, Renier makes a rather inspired choice.
In this book, Aaron fills his pages with … I was going to write “whimsy” but that’s not really it. “Chaos” sounds too judgmental. “Wild” too tame. Essentially, he’s unafraid of a cacophony of splendor and wild interpretations. His illustration of a neon Kat Hats sign is so realistic that I had to peer in close to make sure he hadn’t gone all Red Nose Studio on us and slipped in a model. In interviews, Pinkwater has praised the way that Renier can take his text and give it a wholly new spin. Under his brush there’s suddenly a small subplot at the beginning involving a little green man who misunderstands what it is Kat Hats does and wants to design hats in the shape of cats for them. Renier has created a whole green goblin-esque variety of supporting characters, actually, that live alongside the humans. It was Renier that decided that Glamorella Katz (think Iman or Grace Jones) would never wear the same outfit from one picture to the next. He gave the kids Pocketmouse (seen in a wheelchair) and Lambkin a fascination with the circus and circus tricks that never impedes the storyline, only supports it. Finally, and I know that this is an odd thing to point out but it really struck me, Renier sets this book in a snowy winter. This is not always the first choice of your average everyday illustrator. Snow, in all its negative spacey glory, can be exceedingly hard to do well. Renier revels in it. Add in the sheer number of side details (like Glamorella’s spare outfits hanging in the laundry room) and you have yourself a book that could be read to a kid 100, 200, 300 times and still provide new visual details on every go through.
Sometimes you just want to read a picture book to a kid where everyone involved in the project loved doing it from start to finish. Pinkwater’s having a blast, tapping into his iconic oddities. Renier’s pulling out all the stops on every single page, cranking up the unconventional to 11. And I have faith that when a book is having this much fun, kids are going to respond to that. I may be slightly influenced by the fact that my own kids (aged 10 and 7) just keep coming back to this book whenever I set it down. My 10-year-old was even keen to correct me on some of the finer details, prior to writing this review, (“No, mom, they just rent the cats. They don’t sell them). Younger kids will love the basic premise in and of itself. From its endpapers to its bookflaps to the cover beneath the jacket, every inch of Kat Hats delights. For those in a mood for adventure and cute cat fashion, none compare.
April 21, 2022
Ha! What a fun, entertaining story. Pinkwater has a great imagination to produce such enjoyable picture book. I think that the illustrations bring life to Pinkwater’s words and are half the fun in this book.
Kats Hats Incorporated doesn’t sell normal hats nor do they sell hats with a cat theme, they’re in the unique business of training cats who become hats to those in need. These rented cats are available to anyone who needs them, for everyone knows that most of your body heat escapes out of head. So get a Kat Hat and they’ll keep your head warm.
When the shop’s owner hears about Chickarina, the witch, being on Witch’s Spitz without her Kat Hat, he jumps into action. Calling upon Thermal Herman 67/8sths, the shop’s “pride and joy” and also the warmest cat ever known, Thermal sets off to find her. Thermal is amazing as he steps into action to save the witch from death. This was a great adventure story that left me smiling and wanting to know more about Kats Hats. 5 stars
November 20, 2021
My kids (ages 3 & 5) LOVE this book! Whenever we sit down to read it, they demand we read it “again!” two or three times in a row. The concept of the story is silly and fun but it’s Renier’s illustrations that make this book so unique. Every page overflows with amazing detail. Glamorella’s outfits change on every page, cats are hiding everywhere (often as hats), background rabbits are stealing carrots off of all the town’s snowmen, etc! If you’ve got kids who love cats, they’ll love this book!
February 17, 2022
I'm an unapologetic 50+-year-old fangirl of underappreciated genius Daniel Pinkwater. A few of you are giggling because you know me and the Pinkwater-worship is like breathing, but if you're only reading this review in any way randomly, KNOW. ABSORB. GoodReads readermember, I LOOOOOVE the words, the skill, the brilliance of this elusive human writer. Unknowingly (blame Napa valley), I pre-ordered Kat Hats from both Amazon and Bookshop. So I have two copies and will give to and will have to believe my son (who has been known to brag of knowledge and appreciation of The Wempires) will gleefully read the book to his own child while a backup copy waits at the older generations' house just in case. The book is brilliant and could be the author's words on a blank page and yet some enlightened bookbusinessperson found the ideal artist to capture the brilliant madness of DP's cat hats.
February 6, 2022
Kat Hats by Daniel Pinkwater and Aaron Renier (Illustrator) is a new picture book that crossed my path at the right time. Matt Katz and his family run a very special haberdashery, one made up entirely of expertly trained cats. Among them is Thermal Herman 6-7/8 who is best trained chat chapeau.
On a particularly cold and snowy day, a friend of the family comes in worried about his mother. She's wandered into the forest eating an especially large popsicle, without her hat. He's worried brain freeze with lead to a total body freeze. So it's Thermal Herman 6-7/8 to the rescue!
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
On a particularly cold and snowy day, a friend of the family comes in worried about his mother. She's wandered into the forest eating an especially large popsicle, without her hat. He's worried brain freeze with lead to a total body freeze. So it's Thermal Herman 6-7/8 to the rescue!
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
October 5, 2024
This is a very niche book. The humor, the pictures, the story are something else. Not quite sure who the audience is but the right person will be extremely tickled by this story. I am that person.
July 6, 2022
A cat uses its ability to impersonate hats to rescue a frozen witch. Pinkwater is out here just doing whatever now, and apparently, no one has the ability to stop him. My kids and I enjoyed this book. My ten year old, who typically will not read picture books, makes an exception every time a new Pinkwater book drops. Pinkwater is just so original that there is genuine suspense in waiting to see what he will do next.
The illustrations, which are inspired by the classic Golden Book illustrations, are very good, but I would still prefer Jill Pinkwater's.
The illustrations, which are inspired by the classic Golden Book illustrations, are very good, but I would still prefer Jill Pinkwater's.
February 15, 2022
You have NEVER seen a book like this before, and boy, do you want to. Do you remember poring over pages of picture books you loved as a kid that had a million details and you'd find something new each time? Do you remember being pulled into a story and having no idea what wild, fabulous turn it might make?
I LOVE KAT HATS. I don't get any say in this at all, but Caldecott committee--take a look.
I LOVE KAT HATS. I don't get any say in this at all, but Caldecott committee--take a look.
February 19, 2022
This was weird but also cute. I really like the illustrations.
March 11, 2022
weird and amazing with beautiful illustrations. my type of picture book.
August 26, 2022
This is a truly imaginative book about a man who owns a cat trainery. He doesn’t make hats; he trains cats to make themselves into hats that are appropriate for the wearer and the circumstances that wearer finds him or herself in! These cats are perfect hats for people doing things in very cold places—like the mountains of Nepal, the Arctic or “living in Chicago.” What a hoot! A particularly clever cat rescues a witch with an almost frozen brain, much to the delight of her son and the delightfully diverse family of Matt Katz (who owns the cat trainery). Wackiness ensues. My only reservation about this book is the illustrations. My personal reaction was that the pictures are chaotic, characters faces and bodies are exaggerated and I just wanted them to be a little easier to digest.
February 27, 2023
When the world's greatest cat trainer must help a witch suffering from extreme brain freeze, you have the type of plot that only a master of silliness can create. Aaron Renier's illustrations bring Daniel Pinkwater's world of heightened whimsy to life with bright colors and hidden details that will only be noticed with repeated readings. Even with his long career of writing for the weird kids, this is one of Pinkwater's strangest picture books, and that makes it close to perfection!
June 25, 2023
I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. This book was an "almost didn't finish" book for me. There was absolutely nothing that I liked about it. The story was *very* odd and the character named "Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths" was a mouthful every time. It wouldn't work as a read aloud to any kind of group. The illustrations, although colorful and eye catching, are just way too much on every page.
January 29, 2022
silly, fun, adorable.
March 15, 2022
This book is absolutely, delightfully, bizarre. It gets goofier and goofier with each turn of the page, with wacky little asides. Kids who love surreal humor will be giggling nonstop.
June 10, 2022
Daniel Pinkwater, I love you.
Thermal Herman 67/8ths — a hero for our time.
Thermal Herman 67/8ths — a hero for our time.
November 27, 2024
Daniel Pinkwater is such a strange man, and this is an odd, odd story of trained cats who sit on the heads of a group of eccentric characters to keep them warm. It may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it, as I always enjoy delving into the depths of Pinkwater's brain.
Read
February 9, 2022This book is about cats that contort themselves into hats to warm a humans head and all I can think about is Buffy sleeping above Kristi's head and her fat flaps sliding down over her forehead, warming her in the night.
April 26, 2022
What the actual f**k did I just read, and why did I enjoy it so much?
This book felt like a fever dream brought to you by Wes Anderson.
This book felt like a fever dream brought to you by Wes Anderson.
May 25, 2022
Clever and amusing. Pair this one with Margaret Mahy's The Three-Legged Cat for more cats who are hats.
January 25, 2023
Cats, especially orange ones, for the win!
March 18, 2025
What did I just read?! That was not at all what I was expecting.
June 8, 2025
Kat Hats, by Daniel Pinkwater, published in 2022, was evaluated and recommended in the Kirkus Review. The author has received numerous accolades for his children's literature, including the American Library Association Notable Book designation and the New York Times Outstanding Book designation.
This is a humorous animal fantasy book centralized on a company that trains cats to act as hats for humans, with specific focus on a cat, named Thermal Herman 6-⅞, who can act as one of the best cat hats around. In this story, Thermal Herman 6-⅞ journeys up a mountain to save a woman.
I think this is an eccentric book. As a cat lover, I was thoroughly amused looking at all of the pictures of different cats acting as hats. The human characters in the book are of diverse ethnicities, some White, African American, and green-skinned; which I think is an interesting illustration choice. And there is one African American male character who is in a wheelchair. Also, there is a lot going on in some of the illustrations which I felt was a bit distracting from the story, however, it does give the reader a lot to look at. For example, when someone knocks on the door, there are many kitchen supplies floating in the air, which gives a sense of chaos and surprise.
This book would be suitable for young readers and cat lovers of any age. There are a lot of objects on most pages, therefore, it can act as an I Spy book. There is also a good amount of dialogue with quotation marks, therefore, reading with expression can be discussed. And further, this would be a good book for a sequence of events discussion, such as what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. And lastly, it would be a fun, imaginative extension activity to have students draw someone wearing a cat as a hat and possibly explain the picture, in writing and/or orally.
I found this book on Kirkus Review (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...) and read it as an ebook through hoopla. The pictures were clear and colorful and the text was easily read. One of my favorite parts of this book are the pictures of Thermal Herman 6-⅞ helping humans in various different types of situations as various different types of hats.
This is a humorous animal fantasy book centralized on a company that trains cats to act as hats for humans, with specific focus on a cat, named Thermal Herman 6-⅞, who can act as one of the best cat hats around. In this story, Thermal Herman 6-⅞ journeys up a mountain to save a woman.
I think this is an eccentric book. As a cat lover, I was thoroughly amused looking at all of the pictures of different cats acting as hats. The human characters in the book are of diverse ethnicities, some White, African American, and green-skinned; which I think is an interesting illustration choice. And there is one African American male character who is in a wheelchair. Also, there is a lot going on in some of the illustrations which I felt was a bit distracting from the story, however, it does give the reader a lot to look at. For example, when someone knocks on the door, there are many kitchen supplies floating in the air, which gives a sense of chaos and surprise.
This book would be suitable for young readers and cat lovers of any age. There are a lot of objects on most pages, therefore, it can act as an I Spy book. There is also a good amount of dialogue with quotation marks, therefore, reading with expression can be discussed. And further, this would be a good book for a sequence of events discussion, such as what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. And lastly, it would be a fun, imaginative extension activity to have students draw someone wearing a cat as a hat and possibly explain the picture, in writing and/or orally.
I found this book on Kirkus Review (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...) and read it as an ebook through hoopla. The pictures were clear and colorful and the text was easily read. One of my favorite parts of this book are the pictures of Thermal Herman 6-⅞ helping humans in various different types of situations as various different types of hats.
March 13, 2022
Totally Pinkwater with all its silly, loving charm.
April 4, 2022
A wild and crazy book about cats that are given to people to wear as hats for the warmth and the look. Very imaginative and a story of search and rescue is part of the book. Imaginative idea.
August 30, 2022
Weird story. Weird illustrations.
Mozart did not write Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Some characters are green-skinned like aliens but that isn’t really explained.
I wanted to like this book. I liked a page or two of this book, especially where the author says 90% of body heat is lost through the top of their head and if your head is warm (I.e. you’re wearing a cat as a hat), then you could visit the North Pole in pajamas and still be comfortable.
Great idea!
But what’s with Pretzel Land and Chickarina?
“Thirdbeard lives in a small cabin of clay and wattles made with Chickarina the witch.” I had to read that sentence a half dozen times.
Just no. No to this book.
Mozart did not write Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Some characters are green-skinned like aliens but that isn’t really explained.
I wanted to like this book. I liked a page or two of this book, especially where the author says 90% of body heat is lost through the top of their head and if your head is warm (I.e. you’re wearing a cat as a hat), then you could visit the North Pole in pajamas and still be comfortable.
Great idea!
But what’s with Pretzel Land and Chickarina?
“Thirdbeard lives in a small cabin of clay and wattles made with Chickarina the witch.” I had to read that sentence a half dozen times.
Just no. No to this book.
February 28, 2022
This is not a book for me. I usually like Pinkwater books, but not this one. What age group? I am not sure, as it is a very cluttered and busy story. Very young ones may like all the colors. I loved the book jacket cover, and thought, "what a cute book", but I didn't find it cute.
February 26, 2022
Not my cup of tea.
March 8, 2022
Cute but illustrations and story were not great
November 14, 2021
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
KAT HATS is a unique and very quirky picture book. The book tells the story of Kat Hats, which is not a shop for hats for cats or hats that look like cats. Instead, the shop is a cat training facility where they train cats to act as hats, since most of a person's body heat leaves through their heads. When Old Thirdbeard arrives, he asks for help with finding his mother, Chickarina, who wandered up the mountain while eating a frozen fruitsicle, and it seems likely she had a brain freeze and got stuck up the mountain. Luckily, Thermal Herman 6-7/8ths has returned from Nepal where he warmed the head of the lead climber on a mountaineering expedition. He sets off in search of Chickarina to be the warm hat she needs to come back down the mountain.
What I loved: This is a really unique concept that keeps readers on their toes. This unusual style of storytelling will appeal to children who enjoy the absurd and unexpected. The illustrations are full of details that give children a lot to explore on each page. There are also multi-panel stories told across and around the pages. Anyone who has had brain freeze will empathize with the character who needs a warm rescue, and the warmth and delight of cats is present throughout the story.
What left me wanting more: The story was a bit hard to follow and took a few reads for me to understand what had happened and keep all the characters straight. It's very unusual, but once you get it, it is a very fun story.
Final verdict: A quirky and unique story, KAT HATS is a fun picture book read with detailed and fascinating illustrations sure to capture the imagination.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
KAT HATS is a unique and very quirky picture book. The book tells the story of Kat Hats, which is not a shop for hats for cats or hats that look like cats. Instead, the shop is a cat training facility where they train cats to act as hats, since most of a person's body heat leaves through their heads. When Old Thirdbeard arrives, he asks for help with finding his mother, Chickarina, who wandered up the mountain while eating a frozen fruitsicle, and it seems likely she had a brain freeze and got stuck up the mountain. Luckily, Thermal Herman 6-7/8ths has returned from Nepal where he warmed the head of the lead climber on a mountaineering expedition. He sets off in search of Chickarina to be the warm hat she needs to come back down the mountain.
What I loved: This is a really unique concept that keeps readers on their toes. This unusual style of storytelling will appeal to children who enjoy the absurd and unexpected. The illustrations are full of details that give children a lot to explore on each page. There are also multi-panel stories told across and around the pages. Anyone who has had brain freeze will empathize with the character who needs a warm rescue, and the warmth and delight of cats is present throughout the story.
What left me wanting more: The story was a bit hard to follow and took a few reads for me to understand what had happened and keep all the characters straight. It's very unusual, but once you get it, it is a very fun story.
Final verdict: A quirky and unique story, KAT HATS is a fun picture book read with detailed and fascinating illustrations sure to capture the imagination.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews