Blue Hat, Green Hat

I am a sucker for Sandra Boynton.  Her whimsical animals and simple stories are always a hit with my girl.  One of our favorites is Blue Hat, Green Hat.

Author / Illustrator: Sandra Boynton
Publisher: Little Simon (1984)
Series: Boynton on Board
Prices: Board Book - $5.99
Reading level: 0-4 years old
Interest level: Preschool and Lower Grades
Physical Characteristics: 5.8 x 5.8 inches, 14 pages
ISBN: 0671493205
Genres: Board Book

Subjects:
Humorous Fiction
Animals
Basic Concepts
Clothing

Annotation:
An elephant, a moose, a bear and a turkey are getting dressed, and one of them can’t seem to get it right.

Summary:
An elephant, a moose, a bear and a turkey are showing the reader how to wear clothing.  They are: hats, shirts, pants, coats, socks and shoes.  On every page all the animals show the correct way to wear the items, except for the turkey.  And on every page above his silly head is the word OOPS.  On the last two pages you see that the turkey finally gets it right.  He is wearing all the pieces of clothing we have already seen, and this time he has them on correctly.  Right when you think he has gotten it, he dives in to a pool fully dressed… OOPS.

Evaluation:
Sandra Boynton’s books are epically enjoyable to even the youngest of children.  The simple and short sentences, sometimes one word, move the ideas forward and make the reader laugh at the same time.  Ms. Boynton’s animals are whimsical, unique and silly.  In Blue Hat, Green Hat the eyes of each of the four animals are so expressive, even though they are just white circles with dots.  But, the way Ms. Boynton shifts the dots makes for perspective and emotion that is evident to children and adults.  I simply love the last page of this book, and it always makes my daughter laugh.

Similar Titles or Authors:
Doggies by Sandra Boynton
My Shirt is White by Dick Bruna

Websites:
http://www.sandraboynton.com/sboynton/index.html

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Blue-Hat-Green-Hat/Sandra-Boynton/9780671493202

http://loudcrow.com/blue-hat-green-hat/

Awards & Recognition:

Ms. Boynton was the 2008 recipient of the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award given by The National Cartoonists Society

Professional Reviews:
Kirkus 

All images (c) Sandra Boynton