The Upside Down Hat

by Stephen Barr, Gracey Zhang (Illustrator)

Overview

A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2022

The Little Prince meets Journey in this gorgeous, reassuring picture book fable about loss, perseverance, and finding what matters most.

What happens to a boy who has nothing but a hat? Everything.

A boy wakes up one morning and finds that everything he owns has gone missing. With nothing but a simple green hat, the boy journeys through distant landscapes, searching high and low for the things he has lost. Along the way he discovers that perhaps everything he needs has been with him all along.

Stephen Barr makes his debut in this achingly poignant and deeply profound fable of one boy's adventure to recover his life's treasures. With vibrant illustrations by Gracey Zhang and a subtle message about hopeful perseverance, this book is an exquisite, emotional journey through loss, persistence, and discovering what's truly essential.
 

TIMELESS PICTURE BOOK: Deeply reflective, sparingly written, and beautifully illustrated, this tale will strike a chord with its poignant storytelling. It's a picture book for any reader, of any age, at any time.

A FABLE FOR THE AGES: Reminiscent of the stories of Aesop's Fables, this book touches on universal themes of the human condition and shares a heartfelt message that is effortless but hopeful. Readers will come away thinking differently about what they own, what they need, and what they hold most dear.

NEW VOICE IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Debut author Stephen Barr brings years of experience working with authors as a literary agent to craft this gem of a picture book that will resonate with fans of classic children's stories.

IMMERSIVE ILLUSTRATION: Gracey Zhang's spellbinding art illuminates every step of the story, immersing the reader in a gorgeously rendered world that feels familiar yet utterly unique.

 

Perfect for:
• Parents interested in teaching their kids about loss and gratitude
• Children who like fables/myths
• Readers who love losing themselves in immersive picture book art
• Readers looking for a modern classic picture book
• Fans of William Steig, Erin and Philip Stead, and the Chronicles of Narnia
• Educators and librarians looking for a magical, engaging read-aloud
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452182025
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	706,974
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Gracey Zhang is a freelance illustrator and animator with a BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and educated in the United States, she is now based in New York, where she rides the train while thinking of warmer climates.

Stephen Barr has been a literary agent representing picture book authors and illustrators for over ten years. He lives in New York. This is his first book.

Editorial Reviews

01/17/2022

A lanky, brown-skinned child wakes up in a mostly barren, palm tree–studded terrain with nothing but a teal-colored cowboy hat and the clothes on his back in this meandering fable by debut author Barr. As the child proceeds to search for what he’s lost—“his sewing needle/ and his pirate flag/ and his bright orange stilts,” as well as best friends Henry and Priscilla—the hat provides shelter from the rain and sun, a bucket to drink out of and store cherries in, a means to hide his identity and, when “he had only his hat/ and a dreadful, helpless feeling,” a receptacle for begging. Spare narration and subtle themes of hope and dedication guide the child forward, though his circumstances and the stark lack of community support may puzzle readers: “All day and all night the boy asked for help/ until the streets were empty// and his path was clear.” Zhang’s (Nigel and the Moon) characteristic style, rendered in ink, gouache, and watercolor, portray a brown-skinned cast against a vividly colored landscape of deserts, broken Grecian columns, cherry trees, and bustling open-air markets in this picture book about contentment amid loss. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

[I]n this meandering fable by debut author Barr. . . . [s]pare narration and subtle themes of hope and dedication guide the child forward . . . Zhang’s (Nigel and the Moon) characteristic style, rendered in ink, gouache, and watercolor, portray a brown-skinned cast against a vividly colored landscape of deserts, broken Grecian columns, cherry trees, and bustling open-air markets in this picture book about contentment amid loss.”—Publishers Weekly 

“Debut author Barr keeps the language simple and lyrical. Watercolor illustrations vibrating with wobbly lines suggest life and motion . . . The last double-page spread . . . depicting the boy on stilts clomping into the distance wearing the hat while his avian friends play in a birdbath, is a joyous conclusion . . .”—Kirkus Reviews

"A lullingly spare story . . . with exquisite, Bemelmans-like illustrations . . . With contrails of The Little Prince and magic-carpet colors, even adults will be transported." —The New York Times

From the Publisher

2022-01-25
A young boy's versatile hat is the only possession he's got and the only one he needs.

Sitting on a hill surrounded by palm trees, a “boy who had everything” awakens to find all of his possessions gone, from his sewing needle to his birds to his orange stilts. Even his shoes appear to be missing. All that's left are the clothes on his body and a green hat next to him in the morning sun. What follows is a journey to find his belongings during which the boy discovers the many uses of the hat—the thing he now values the most—and what's really important. The unnamed boy takes “a thousand more steps” among “ten thousand strangers” on a quest that tries hard to seem mythical. There is a false note to the dream sequence leading to the muddled ending that leaves the story’s moral unclear. Debut author Barr keeps the language simple and lyrical. Watercolor illustrations vibrating with wobbly lines suggest life and motion in unidentified places that include pillars in ruins and a vibrant outdoor market. The boy, portrayed as having light brown skin and living near a desert, immediately turns to begging with the hat when he can't find help, which could be viewed as stereotypical. The last double-page spread, however, depicting the boy on stilts clomping into the distance wearing the hat while his avian friends play in a birdbath, is a joyous conclusion that defies nitpicking. (This book was reviewed digitally).

The boy's hat is wondrous and needed; the book is good but not essential. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews