Mrs Blackhat

Mrs Blackhat #1

by Chloë Inkpen, Mick Inkpen

Mrs Blackhat the witch likes everything to be black. So what will she do with an GINGER cat? A hilarious rhyming picture book, perfect for Halloween!

Meet Mrs Blackhat, a witch who just loves the colour black. Black broom, black boots, black wand, black chair, black crow, black toad, black bat . . . GINGER cat?! What on Earth can Mrs Blackhat do to fix this problem? Find out in this hilarious rhyming story!

Mick Inkpen is the creator of the much-loved Kipper series. A true modern classic, Kipper has been delighting families for more than 30 years.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2018

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything in Mrs Blackhat's life was black, from her clothing to her various animals companions. All, that is, save her very, very ginger cat. Determined to fix this state of affairs, the techno-savvy witch began to order spell books and ingredients online, from the Shopalot website. But no matter what she tried, her cat always stayed stubbornly ginger. Her final attempt, using a farewell gift the website sent her after she gave up in despair, produced some surprising results, turning everything in her life rainbow-colored, save her cat, who was transformed into a tiger...

The first of two picture-books devoted to the adventures of the titular witch from father-daughter team Mick and Chloë Inkpen, Mrs. Blackhat pairs an amusing witchy tale told in rhyme with bold illustrations. Appropriately enough, given the theme of shopping online, the artwork here looks to have been created digitally, and has a fun, expressive cartoon-style that is well-suited to the story. I don't know that this is destined to become a personal favorite, when it comes to witchy picture-books (a personal pet project of mine), but it is amusing, and would make for a good read-aloud, I believe. I enjoyed it enough that I will be tracking down the sequel, Mrs Blackhat and the ZoomBroom!

[Megz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves this book, definitely one of her favourites.

[Linda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love this book! Great rhythm and rhyme, fun language, short, best illustrations, and a surprise ending. We’ve read it so many times, five year old and two year old almost have it memorized.

[Rachel Pinkney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moment of calm in an awful day.

[LucyLocket · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️Brilliant!!!!! The kids at Kindy absolutely love this book. It’s fantastic to read out loud. So dramatic and fun.

The kids find the repetition great to join in with. They think the ending is hilarious. We have to say at the start when I go to read it not to spoil the end incase someone hasn’t heard it before. The kids remember how much they loved the surprise ending that they have so far kept it quiet each time a new listener is there so their friends can enjoy it to - which is wonderful!!!

Bought the next book The Zoom Zoom Zoom Broom. The kids are really fond of the character Mrs Blackhat. Hope this becomes a series.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly repetitive story with a very humorous and memorable twist at the end. I wasn't a big fan of Mrs Blackhat while we were reading it, as the lists really didn't hold our daughter's attention, but I have a feeling this is the sort of book she'll really like when she's a few years older, so we'll definitely be revisiting Mrs Blackhat in the future.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great borrow from the library! I always wanted to be a witch, but the black put me off. A brilliant solution, with a tiger too! I love tigers!
Ahem. The text was great too, brilliant rhyming. Very pleased to see a modern witch using a laptop and everything. Might have to buy this, a keeper for sure.

[Nikki Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs Blackhat loves everything black, but she finds herself with an orange cat and tries to conjure up a some magic to help change his appearance, well it soon backfires in this fun rhyming read, with a fun surprise ending.

[Alma Toumeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs blackcap she is trying to the cat so that makes black

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect rhyming book, lovely story about not changing things

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable. A technology obsessed witch who keeps placing orders with an online store called Shopalot? So cute.

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read, great for the spooky season or person.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A cute Halloween book!

[Tegan (Slant Postscripts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno… it’s a subjective thing but the whole online purchasing theme ruins it for me. It’s kind of fun but doesn’t have the whimsy I look for in witchy picture books

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute picture book about a witch changing a cat’s color.

[Kenzie Bloomer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast paced book due to the rhyming structure. There are similar elements to Winnie the Witch and links to 'Macbeth' through the use of the three witches spell. This is a fun book which could be used to further pupils' writing abilities by creating alternative endings to the cat turning into a tiger. The book begins on the end pages before the cover title page which is unique; this could be discussed in class if pupils have an understanding of how books are set out/ designed.