Hat Cat

Wilson (Little Read Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf) writes about an elderly man with a captivating daily ritual: he puts peanuts in the crease of his plaid fedora, goes outside, “and sat, as still and welcoming as a grand old tree,” waiting for squirrels. Coy (Daddy-Sitting) paints a long view from the woods as the rodents look up and begin to approach (“The old man loved the squirrels. And they knew it”). One day, the white man finds a kitten on his bench under the hat and, naturally, names it Hat. He’s smitten—“He let Hat do whatever he liked”—with one exception: the cat may not go outside, lest Hat “leave me. Or you might chase the squirrels... or worse.” Wilson is a canny storyteller who uses rhythmic changes and repetition to make each beat right (“So he shut the door tight. Every time”). Coy contributes warm, soft-edged images in colored pencil and watercolor, clearly conveying the way the man’s face crinkles up with pleasure. Anyone who’s been unfairly maligned will derive special satisfaction as Hat eventually gains a chance to prove himself in this gentle picture book. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator’s agent: Charlie Bowden, Pickled Ink. (Feb.)