Hats
Create your own storytime at home or in the classroom using this thematic starter. You'll find links to selected books in our catalog on this page and a downloadable PDF that includes additional elements like songs/rhymes and suggested materials.
A storytime about hats of all kinds--and the people (and creatures!) that wear them.
Books for babies
- Azul el Sombrero, Verde el Sombrero by Sandra Boynton ©2003 (BOARD WRLD LANG)
- Hat On, Hat Off by Theo Heras ©2016 (MAE MITCHELL COLLECTION)
- Red Hat by Lita Judge ©2013 (ANIMALS)
- Hat Tricks by Satoshi Kitamura ©2019 (ANIMALS)
Books for toddlers
- Hat by Paul Hoppe ©2009 (GROWING)
- Harold Loves His Woolly Hat by Vern Kousky ©2018 (ANIMALS)
- Very Good Hats by Emma Straub ©2023 (FAVORITES)
- Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won ©2014 (FAVORITES)
- Which Hat is That? by Anna Grossnickle Hines ©2002 (CONCEPTS)
- Hats Are Not For Cats by Jacqueline K. Rayner ©2019 (ANIMALS)
Books for preschoolers
- Magritte’s Marvelous Hat by D.B. Johnson ©2012 (ADVANCED)
- Brimsby’s Hats by Andrew Prahim ©2014 (ANIMALS)
- Courage Hats by Kate Hoefler ©2022 (GROWING)
- Old Hat by Emily Gravett ©2017 (FAVORITES)
- The Magic Hat by Mem Fox ©2002 (FAVORITES)
- Hat Cat by Troy Wilson ©2022 (STORIES)
- Bagel’s Lucky Hat by Hector Mumbly ©2007 (ADVANCED)
Books for school-age
- This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen ©2012 (FAVORITES)
- I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen ©2011 (FAVORITES)
- El Ladrón del Sombrero by Jon Klassen ©2012 (WRLDLNG)
- Tiara’s Hat Parade by Kelly Starling Lyons ©2020 (STORIES)
- The Upside Down Hat by Stephen Barr ©2022 (ART)
- Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee ©2001 (MAD REF)
- Sombrería Mágica by Sonja Wimmer ©2016 (WRLDLNG)
Rhyming and alliteration are ways that children learn to hear that words are made up of smaller parts. This helps them when they later try to sound out words to read. The Cat and Hat game that we played today is one way to have fun with phonological awareness—you can do this anytime and you don’t need to use pictures or other props, just talk about the world around you.
Find more storytime starters like this.
This PDF includes selected books, songs/rhymes, tips, suggested materials, and other additional elements.