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Summary
Summary
A lonely hat maker uses quirky creativity to make friends in this delightful picture book that will charm readers young and old.
Brimsby is a happy hat maker--until his best friend goes off to find adventure at sea. Now Brimsby is a lonely hat maker, unsure of what to do. But since making hats is what he does best, perhaps his talents can help him find some friends...
Filled with whimsy and wonder, Brimsby's Hats is a celebration of creativity and friendship.
Author Notes
Andrew Prahin won a partial college scholarship from his hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois, by detailing his dream of becoming a children's book illustrator. Then he went into advertising. With the publication of Brimsby's Hats , Andrew is finally making things right with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. Andrew lives in London with his wife, Katie.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bereft when his best friend takes off for a new life as a sea captain, Brimsby-a small, fuzzy, button-nosed creature who makes hats-seeks new companions. One winter afternoon he finds some birds working feverishly, "shoveling the snow out of their nests and keeping the cold wind from blowing out their fires." Brimsby realizes that his hats might serve as shelters for them, and his thoughtfulness earns him a treeful of new friends: "They talked about hats. They talked about snow shovels. They talked about whether lemon cookies taste better than worms." Newcomer Prahin's exceptionally polished digital spreads look like stills from an animated feature. Muted, offbeat shades of gray-blue, mauve, and lime echo Brimsby's quirky personality. There's no dialogue-Prahin narrates the whole story comfortingly in the third person, softening Brimsby's feelings of loss-and much of the humor appears in the stylish spreads. In one, a bison tries on a comically small hat; in another, Brimsby and his friend fantasize in pictorial dialogue balloons about fighting a pirate octopus. A promising first outing for Prahin. Ages 4-8. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Brimsby spends most days with his best friend, sipping tea, conversing, and making hats. But when his friend leaves to pursue his dream of becoming a sea captain, Brimsby must cope with loneliness and (with a little ingenuity and a few hats) actively develop new friendships. Prahin pairs sophisticated themes with crisp, dapper digital illustrations. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Brimsby, a hat maker, dearly misses his badger friend, who sailed away to become a sea captain. Brimsby (a proper name for a hatter!) could be any number of animals, really, with his black stubby nose, nubby ears, pea-soupcolored body and bowler hat. A bear? A mole? Inset scenes, arresting compositional choices and conversation bubbles direct eyes across pages of computer-generated artwork. While flat, these illustrations carry powerful poignancy. The badger relays his seafaring dreams to Brimsby as ships, pirates, telescopes and dragons hover over their heads, encapsulated in a row of neat ovals. Twelve small, sequential studies reveal Brimsby's mounting loneliness with painful clarity. He sits at his work table, by the window, sewing different hats on different days in different seasons, in boxy isolation--a lonely portrait that changes little, repeating again and again across a double-page spread. Readers may sniffle before turning the page to find him trudging across a sweeping snowscape, waist-high in a drift. He meets some cold birds shoveling snow out of their nests and thinks of the perfect solution: hat bird houses! Brimsby's industry and empathy find him a flock of thankful friends. Sophisticated storytelling, both through words and images, beautifully describes the significance of friendship and what it feels like to miss, keep, love and make a friend. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Brimsby sits in his little cottage making hats while sharing tea and conversation with a good friend, until the fellow moves away. Now working in silence each day, Brimsby realizes that he's lonely. He walks for miles through the falling snow until he finds a tree with seven little birds. Busy shoveling out their nests and keeping the fires lit in their tiny stoves, they're too busy to hear his Hello. Brimsby goes back home, works all night, and returns with seven of his hats, which he has cleverly modified to include doors and heating vents. Placing one on each nest, he converses with the grateful birds, who become his friends. In his first picture book, Prahin offers a gentle story with amiable characters, real problems, and satisfying solutions. The digital artwork reflects the tone of the precisely worded text as well as its understated wit and verve. With clean, spare lines in the outdoor scenes, intriguing details in the interiors, and unusual color combinations throughout the book, the illustrations create a distinctive world for the characters to inhabit. Fine for reading aloud, this quiet charmer of a picture book is an inspiration for creativity, problem solving, and making friends.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist