Mr. Brown’s Fantastic Hat

In this offbeat turn on the theme of the lonely recluse, Imai (Puss & Boots) draws a top-hatted, umbrella-carrying bear who doesn’t care that no one likes him: “He told himself life was perfect without anybody fussing over him.” But someone does want to be close to him—or, more accurately, to his hat. A woodpecker begins building a nest in it as Mr. Brown naps in a tree. Before the bear knows it, his hat magically begins to grow skyward, more woodpeckers join the first, and suddenly his life is filled with unsought beauty and community. Imai’s delicate, light-filled graphite and watercolor pictures do not aim for laughter. Instead, she brings wildlife and civilization into gentle, unexpected collision. A small but beautifully formed tree grows out of Mr. Brown’s tablecloth, a fish hangs from his ceiling, and grass starts to creep across his polished hardwood floors as he hibernates. There’s little interaction between words and pictures—text and illustration could easily stand independently—but Imai’s artwork has a marvelous, surreal dignity that casts a memorable spell. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)