RAINBOW HAT

A bear loses their hat and tries to get it back.

With a “Whoosh!” Bear’s hat blows away in the wind. To Bear’s surprise, it lands right on Turtle’s shell. Turtle walks into the pond, so Bear dives in after—“Splash!”—to get the hat back. Before Bear can get it, Frog leaps from the water and sends the hat airborne. The hat falls off Frog and lands on Duck. Dipping their head into the water with a “Quack!” Duck loses the hat to Fish. Bear diligently—and desperately—paddles along. At last, Bird ends up with the hat and flies away. Another “Whoosh!” carries the hat downward as Bird lets go. But where will it land? This Dutch and Belgian import, discovered in China via an international competition sponsored by the publisher, cleverly uses a repetitive structure and limited vocabulary to introduce various animals and terrains. Recurring questions like “Who has the hat now?” appear alongside illustrations before each subsequent animal is named, playfully inviting readers into the story. À la the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? front and back endpapers depict bright bands of color—in this case, the colors and pattern of the hat. Those colors pop on every page, making the hat easy to spot. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A wild—and funny—hat chase.