The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Blackaby, Susan

Rembrandt's Hat

32 pp. | Houghton | March, 2002 | Trade ISBN 0-618-11452-1 $$15.00

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma. When Rembrandt the bear loses his lucky hat, a bird offers to take its place on his head. Though the solution is a little awkward, the bird-as-hat works out, until it's scared off by a cat--who feels responsible and takes its place. Eventually Rembrandt finds the right hat--just like his old one--in a somewhat flat conclusion. The ludicrous story and droll illustrations, however, make the dryly humorous book entertaining.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander