Do You Have a Hat?

Do You Have a Hat?

Written by: Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by: Geraldo Valerio

Simon and Schuster, 2004

29 Pages

Historical Fiction

 

     I chose this book, because I was interested in the title.  When I opened the book, I also saw some pictures and facts about some very important people in history.  Right away, I knew that it would be a great book to use in the classroom. The book is about different types of hats that can be worn, and focuses on the kinds of hats that famous people in history have worn.  Each page asks the question, “Do you have a hat,” at the bottom.  Facts are given throughout the book; every page talks about a famous person, what type of hat they had, and how they used it.   For example, one page talks about the artist Francisco de Goya; he wore a large hat that had a place to put candles all around it, so he was able to work at night. Another page talks about the top hat that Abraham Lincoln wore, and how he used it to store important papers.  The book is fun, because it also tells facts in an exaggerated way.  For instance, one part of the book describes Isabelle of Bavaria’s hat; her hat was tall and cone-shaped, but the book shows it as being so tall that they had to make the whole front side of her castle into a cone-shaped door so she would be able to fit; it also says that her hat was so tall that it hit a gargoyle.  Another person that is mentioned is Walt Whitman.  It explains how he used his hat as a table for writing.  The question, “Do you have a hat,” is also asked at the end. Several different hats are described that students might own. 

     The illustrator did a wonderful job.  He combined facts with a little humor; he portrays the book as it is written and makes it fun to read.  The artist uses acrylic paint.  I how vibrant the colors are.  His illustrations are also very detailed. The illustrator painted a lot of pictures in the background.  The pictures were also painted on paper that gives the colors a glossy finish.  I also love the pictures of the famous people on the inside covers.  The pictures explain who each person is, or what made them famous.  Another thing that I love about the illustrations is the picture on the back cover; it shows all of the people that were mentioned in the story.

     I would use this book to teach my students about the famous people that are mentioned in the story.  I would talk about the true elements of the book, as well as some of the parts that are exaggerated.  I think it would be a great book to use towards the end of the school year, because it talks about so many different people.  It could also be used to teach students about famous people that have not heard of before.  Students could write about which person is their favorite and explain why.  I could also have my students write about what type of hat they have.  This book would be also be great for teaching students that people use to use hats for different reasons, and many were different than how we use them today.   They could compare and contrast this.  I think this book is appropriate for kindergarten through the third grade.