Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. Not even a new hat. Cover art is copyright Macdonald Young.

This book is about a curious little hedgehog named Hedgie (wow, what an original name) who gets a woollen sock stuck to his head. In his attempts to free himself, all the other animals laugh at him. Instead of helping. Cruel bastards.

So Hedgie tells them that the woollen sock is a hat and gives them various reasons as to why he is wearing it. Because they are all lemmings who can’t think for themselves, and only laugh because of their own self-doubt and ineptitude, they eat up everything Hedgie says. Suckers.

The Hat is a story that addresses public humiliation, snap judgements, innovative thinking, and the herd mentality.  The illustrations of the winter weather makes me want to bundle up in my own woollen sock, and the scenery is vital to the story – with many of Hedgie’s reasons for wearing the so-called hat pertaining to the cold weather.

A nice story about a clever hedgehog who doesn’t need to take any of your belittling.