Under My Hood I Have a Hat

by Karla Kuskin, Fumi Kosaka (Illustrator)

Wanting to go out and play in the newly fallen snow, a young girl finds her simple outing quite a project in itself after her mother begins to bundle her up in many layers of clothing, including two sweaters, boots, a coat, a muffler, mittens, and more!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile, Animals

32 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Karla Kuskin was an author and illustrator of children's literature, as well as a frequent reviewer of books.

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The young girl in this book for toddlers is likely living in dire (financially) situations in her home life, but she remains positive despite that. During the snowy winter she has to wear two sweaters, a jacket, two pairs of pants, her socks, shoes and her big rubber boots over them, and yes, her Hood is really underneath her big coat. And it gets to the point where she and her puppy go outside to play in the snow, only she has to be careful cos, like the old lady in that infamous Life Alert ad, if she's fallen she can't get up! (Overdressed for winter. That'll do it.) A sweet book with few words that tell more than a 500 page novel can, and it's a joy to read.
Four stars
The girl in da Hood got it goin on!

[Kiley Stewart]

I found this to be a very cute book. This book follows a girl who is showing off all the layers that she is dressed in. She explains why she is dressed in all these layers (to protect her from the cold and the snow). I think this book would be amazing to add to your classroom library because it teaches kids the importance of wearing the appropriate clothing for cold weather and this book does an amazing job of displaying this in a positive and fun way.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great winter read-aloud for 2-4 y/o. The only issue I had is that they refer to a scarf as a muffler, which is not what we call it here in Philadelphia. However, you can easily exchange the word while reading it.

[Cathie (ClassyLibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one for my hats and mittens storytime theme. Simple story that is repetitive. Nice big illustrations. It will be in my rotation!

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute winter-themed picture book. Great for teaching winter clothes.

[Beronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would make an excellent book to read for a winter storytime! The ending is perfect and will be sure to get some giggles!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book about layers of winter clothes. Simple, attractive illustrations. Parents really enjoyed the ending. A good winter book for very young children.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous story young readers will relate to. The child has to bundle so much to go outside that they can hardly move and can't get up when they fall over.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming story about all the layers a young girl is wearing to go play out in the snow. If you are wondering how she well she can move with all those layers on--there's a cute little twist at the end. A cute story for young kids when teaching about winter clothes vocabulary.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun short book. I gave it an extra star because the ending was so relatable.

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A winter getting dressed story that isn't necessarily told progressively. Toddlers might struggle following but preschoolers will understand.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick book to read with my Music & Movement Storytime group. Perfect for the cold weather we've been having. We sang Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toe and Open Shut Them along with it.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a fun storyline book for babies and toddlers!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and a story everyone can relate to.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book about winter layers

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable and true-to-life story. It reminds me of when my children were small and bundled up for winter play in layers of clothing. Such a cute and funny ending. Fun illustrations.

[Amity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, colorful illustrations and the fun repetitive rhymes make this a great story time book. Also an extremely relatable ending.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jenna Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple toddler story showing all the bundled layers to be warm for playing outside in the snow

Text from 1964 has some dated references such as muffler instead of scarf.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet title about all the things we wear on a snowy day, in rhyming lines that are clever and funny.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl gets dressed in winter outerwear.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toddler, preschool, and school-age
Rhyming

[Haylee Blystone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Easy to get through. The babies weren't super into it

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, along with the story, it opens it up for discussions.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is how I dress in the winter lol

[Courtney]

Part of the library storytime

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite winter picture books.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book for toddler time. A child gets out of her winter clothes has a snack then gets back in to them. The ending reminded me of several times in my childhood. 12/5/11

Used again for young PJ Storytime. 11/27/12

Used for my hat story time tonight since we are expecting snow. Went over quite well with 2-5 year olds. 3/5/13

Used again for my clothing PJ Story Time and my preschool story time. The ending caused a giggle at PJ. A little boy at story time was puzzled and I had to explain it. 12/17/13

Went over fairly well at Story Time, not sure the 2 girls got the humor of the ending, but it caused a lot of discussion about their snow clothes. 2/25/14

Used for Baby/Toddler got a few laughs at the first program, but the second group didn't seem into books and we just went to the scarves and shakers after this.

[Anna Korroch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was a very simple and cute book. The short sentences and small words are great for beginning readers. I love how the story progresses and the little girl describes how she gets ready to go play in the snow.

In the classroom I think that this would be a good read aloud to discuss winter. It could be read to the class when it is starting to get really cold outside. It could be used to discuss the importance of wearing warm clothing and many layers on a snowy day to stay warm. Children will really like the book and be able to follow along because they get excited about the first snow fall.

This book also has great illustrations. The colors are bright, which helps set an exciting mood for the story. The pictures offer a large amount of support for the text. The illustrator does a great job of creating what is exactly happening in the story.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I like the bright colors and simple words, but it appeals to a very limited audience I think because it is for young children.

This book could be a nice winter time story for the right age group. To read aloud, it would be appropriate for very young children. It could also be appropriate for older children learning to read. There are few words on each page and they are simple and intuitive. There isn't any new vocabulary, but "Under My Hood I Have a Hat" lists some winter accessories. Overall, it is a very simple book but it could be appropriate if used in the right setting.