The Baby in the Hat - Hardcover

Allan Ahlberg always dreamed of being a writer, but tried his hand at many other jobs before he achieved his ambition. It was teaching that gave him such sharp insights into the minds of children. Allan has won numerous awards for his books including the Kurt Maschler Award in 1986, the Children's Book Award in 1987, the Blue Peter Book Award 2001 and the Children's Book Award: Books for Young Children 2002. He lives in Bath. Andre Amstutz is a widely published illustrator perhaps best known for his collaborations with Allan Ahlberg, including Monkey Do! and Miaow! as well as the popular Happy Families and Funnybones series. He lives in Kent.

Kindergarten-Grade 2—The fortuitous catch of a baby falling from a window into a young boy's hat triggers a romp through London and beyond. The boy and his best friend spend his half-crown reward on a railway ride to the city. Once in London, he falls off a bridge in the fog, and, after a series of seafaring adventures, becomes a ship captain and eventually returns to the exact spot where he caught the baby years earlier. He sees a girl in that same window and things come full circle. The plot is slight, but the gouache illustrations, with numerous charming details, will captivate readers. The palette is largely soft blues and greens, which somehow makes the battles with pirates and exploding cannons on French warships seem almost benevolent. There is a historical quibble. Although the dress of the characters and the presence of a steam railway would place the story in 19th-century England during the reign of either King William the IV or Queen Victoria, the boy is said to have "served Good King William's army 'gainst the French." The War of the Grand Alliance with the French took place between 1688 and 1697 during the reign of King William III. No battles were fought with the French during the reign of William IV. This inaccuracy aside, children will enjoy poring over the panoramic pages, which makes the book better suited for independent or one-on-one sharing than for group presentation.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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