Horace’s Big Hat by Judy Palaferro
Review by Chris Singer
About the author (from the publisher):
Judy Palaferro’s stylized illustrations have their roots in both her teenage admiration for rock and roll album covers and the 1980′s New York art scene. Ms. Palaferro has worked as a print and web designer, and as a book buyer in a Colorado toy store, where she began developing artistically with inspiration from Arthur Ransome, Roald Dahl, and teddy bears.
Upon returning to New York City, Ms. Palaferro’s fascination with illustration flourished for eight years while she worked as a children’s graphic artist and textile designer in the fashion industry. Horace’s Big Hat displays her beautiful sense of bright and pleasing aesthetics and her love for imagination, and children’s art.
About the book (from the publisher):
What did you want to be when you grew up? Colorful and fun, this charming book introduces children to a range of professions, each of which Horace tries his hand at in a special big hat—be it a red fireman’s helmet, giant baker’s hat, purple circus top hat, or an artist’s beret. Whimsical illustrations bring young readers into Horace’s world of imagination. Great for children who are learning to read.
My take on the book:
My little girl is obsessed with hats, so much so that she’ll even walk around with a cardboard box on her head, calling it a hat. Of course knowing this, I shared Horace’s Big Hat with her and not surprisingly, it has become one of her favorites.
There’s a couple of things you should know about this book. One, it was written by the author in consultation with an early literacy educator so the large, bold typeface as well as the patterned, repetitive text are done purposely. Both of these are proven strategies for helping beginning and emerging readers began the path to learning to read.
Second, the illustrations are fantastic and there’s almost another story to be told on each page. The pictures are bold and colorful and I enjoy asking my daughter what she sees going on in the pictures. It almost serves as a conversation starter with my daughter. We talk about what firefighters do, why chefs wear a hat and there’s one page where we have tried counting all the sheep.
All in all, a beautifully designed book which can provide opportunities for learning with each read. I highly recommend this for parents and teachers.