The Girl in the White Hat

by W.T. Cummings

"An airy story, with graceful illustrations in black and white and color by the author W. T. Cummings, breathes fantasy with the same naturalness with which a child wishes for an improbable but delightful boon." — Kirkus Reviews.
While Grandmother's asleep, Annabelle creeps out of her room and up the stairs to the dark and mysterious attic. Among the jumble of curious items packed away in the gloom is a big white hat with a floppy brim. Annabelle can't resist trying it on and thinks, "If I were a bird and this hat were my wings, I could fly. I wish I could fly!" And she does!
This boldly colorful story marked the debut of acclaimed author/illustrator W. T. Cummings. Lauded by The New York Times as one of the ten best children's books of 1959, the now-rare volume is available in this lovely new hardcover edition, ready to charm a new generation of readers and imaginative hat-wearers.
"Young children will delight in the wish-fulfillment-based narrative, while adults can enjoy the whimsical story and pictures." — The Emerald City Book Review

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 17, 2017

Reviews

[Georgia Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love explained is love diminished. So, I will try to keep this short.

I loved this book when I first read it and have never forgotten. The story is simple. A child pokes around in an attic when she should be taking a nap. She finds a white hat that grants her wishes when she puts it on her head. She flies in the sky and goes to a circus. She has a party with friends and cakes. She sits in a grassy field when she needs quiet. She puts the hat back in its box when she is done.

There is no struggle. Just whimsy and wonder. Yet, the truth it imparts is real. Boredom can be good. It makes us think, sometimes dare. A child without boredom finds no white hats.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book about the power of imagination and fantasy unleashed when a little girl founds a big, white hat in her attic. I read it to my daughter while she had he breakfast before school (usual routine). I found the color contrasts amateurish, though. When the ages are dark, they used big wite boxes with black letters, when maybe white letters would have sufficed.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

After talking in class about the willing suspension of disbelief I feel it was only fitting to review this book. This book portrayed imagination and thinking outside the box so well. Annabelle put on a magic hat and wished for things that were random and they happened to appear right in front of her. The illustrations of this book were interesting though, only in green and red or black and white. The reader also does not see Annabelle's face. I enjoyed reading this book but there are some things I wish were slightly different. I feel it was a high-quality book and definitely a book I would read to a younger grade in the classroom.