Rembrandt's Hat
by
Susan Blackaby
iIllustrated
by Mary Newell DePalma
Houghton Mifflin Company 2002
ISBN 0-618-11452-1
The Washington Post Book World
chose Rembrandt's Hat
as one of it's Top 10
Picture Books of 2002
Publisher's
Weekly
January 14, 2002
Rembrandt, a wide-eyed teddy bear with a frog peeking out of his pocket, pauses in the park to watch a clown juggle eggs--and he loses his lucky hat to a gust of wind. So opens this satisfyingly spontaneous and quirky tale, a finely tuned collaboration between debut author Blackaby and DePalma. (The Strange Egg). Mixed-media illustrations drolly depict a spirited cast of animal characters...
Blackaby and Depalma cap this comical caper with a pleasing set of solutions. All in all, simply fedorable.
Kirkus
Reviews
February
1,
2002
...In her first published work, Blackaby hits a high note with her opening line: "On what began as a fine day, a bear named Rembrandt lost his hat." He meets a clown and three animals as he searches for a replacement, visiting a hat shop and trying on "17 different hats in 11 different colors" in a delightful double-page spread that will thrill hat aficionados. ...
Rembrandt is ready to step into story hours with themes of hats or bears, and his story offets lots of possibilities for extensions into drama or art.
Booklist
April
15,
2002
After a gust of wind carries away Rembrandt the bear's lucky hat, his day takes a turn for the worse.
... DePalma's mixed-media illustrations fairly brim with color as they emphasize rembrandt's patient demeanor in the face of all the ridiculous headgear. The text is a bit wordy for toddlers, but this is a good choice for somewhat older children, who will be more likely to appreciate the humor.--Kay Weisman
School
Library Journal
July,
2002
A quirky story of a bear that loses his hat and tries a number of unusual substitutes before discovering a successful one.
... From a very simple initial premise, this curious tale with offbeat humor unfolds. The text is clearly written in short sentences with good pacing for reading aloud. However, children will want to take a closer look, as the illustrations deserve careful inspection, The book is beautifully designed, with excellent use of white space A fun, but not essential, purchase.--Robin L. Gibson
Washington
Post Book World
December
1, 2002
Top
Ten Picture Books of 2002
For Rembrandt the bear, replacing his lost hat
is really a quest for identity, but DePalma artfully deflects metapyhysics
with a riot of Millinery.--Elizabeth Ward