Picture Book Review: The Witch’s Hat
After inadvertently casting a spell on her hat, a witch must catch the tricky hat and return it to her head.
|
Title |
The Witch’s Hat |
| Author | Tony Johnston |
| Illustrator | Margo Tomes |
| Publication Date | 1984 |
| Age Range | 3-5, 4-8 |
| Overall Rating | 4 stars |
| Literary Value | 4 stars |
| Artistic Value | 3 stars |
Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness
| This one is mostly just plain fun. The witch demonstrates bravery and perseverance in the face of frustration. The language is rich with literary devices and simple but fun dialogue. |
Discussion Questions
Have you ever created a problem for yourself that was way harder than it should have been to fix?
Academic Tie-ins
This one is just for fun!
Parents might want to know
If you’re not into witches and spells and potions, skip this one.
If you’re looking for a funny, light-hearted Halloween picture book to share with your children, The Witch’s Hat tops my list of recommendations. The repeated rhyming aside (“It was a magic pot, in case you forgot”) and the witch’s exclamations of triumph and frustration combine to make this one of my favorite Halloween books to read aloud.
The story is simple. A witch inadvertently casts a spell on her hat which in turn tries to run from her, taking on a variety of disguises to avoid detection. She’s a clever witch though, and she devises simple tests (pinching the bats, poking the rats) to separate the hat from the bats/rats/cats. It’s a battle of wits and perseverance. Who wins? Make sure you turn to the very last illustration before you decide!
This one is out-of-print, but you can watch it read aloud here:
