Miss Hunnicutt's Hat
Kindergarten-Grade 3-When residents of Littleton receive word that the Queen might stop by, they engage in a flurry of activity to beautify the town. Perfectionists all, they cannot bear it when Miss Hunnicutt appears wearing her new hat, complete with a live chicken, perched on top of her head. "It has to go!" is the general consensus. But the woman stands her ground, creating chaos all around her as distracted citizens allow cats to escape up a tree and leave water running, causing a mudslide that coats streets and people alike; and trucks carrying the royal cake and raspberry soda collide, scattering their contents everywhere. Just when things can't get any worse, the monarch arrives, sporting a surprise of her own. Brumbeau's lengthy text reveals an increasingly confident Miss Hunnicutt who first says in a tiny voice: "I think I might have the right to wear what I like"; then states firmly: "I'm pretty sure I have the right to wear what I like"; and finally asserts in a voice "both loud and sure": "I have the right to wear what I like!" The watercolor illustrations are large and extremely busy, reflecting the copious beautifying activities and subsequent pandemonium. Cats wearing funny hats are everywhere. Mud-splattered townsfolk tumble across spreads, while falling strawberries and soda cover everything. Beneath the book's jacket is a panoramic view of Littleton and readers can hunt for all 27 of Miss Bisbee's cats. Endpapers filled with outlandish hats and many visual jokes will keep youngsters amused for some time.Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CTCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.