Fuzzy, Furry Hat

PreS-Gr 2—This playful tale is illustrated with wonderful surreal paintings that celebrate friendship and music. A mystical 1,000-year-old and 1,000-foot-tall beech tree stands in a garden inhabited by a lonely bear in a fuzzy, furry hat (with bells on). As he jingles, birds and many other creatures come nest in his hat and play music together. When a storm rolls in and it rains for months, the tree stands tall and the band plays again as the sun comes out. Inspired by an Edward Lear poem, the story is simple and told sparely through text and humorous asides from the animals, giving the incredible watercolor and colored pencil images space to shine. The perspective zooms in and out, with a gently textured palette that ranges from the deep, dark hues of the fur of the bear's hat to the brassy gold of the bells. Even the raindrops are stunningly depicted in Delessert's signature style.