In a three-story house with a shop down below, lived the world's finest hat maker, Madame Chapeau. Like the Lady herself, all her hats were refined. Brilliantly singular. One of a kind. So begins Andrea Beaty's new rhyming picture book about a hat maker adored by her friends and neighbours. On her birthday, Madame Chapeau wears the perfect bonnet made by her late husband. But on the way to her birthday dinner, a crow snatches her hat and flies away with it, leaving Mme. Chapeau sans bonnet. As she chases the crow, everyone around her begins to follow her, offering their own hats for her to wear. None of them are quite right for Madame Chapeau, though, until one special little girl offers her a hat knitted with love and [her] best birthday wish. What appears rather odd to Mme Chapeau at first is actually the perfect gift for her. A delightful story about love, community and friendship, with some fancy hats and a birthday thrown in for good measure.
This is a book full of detail - from the various fabric textures to the little mouse who certainly gets about; you'll find yourself lingering on the pages picking out all the artistic delights on offer....A sweet tale of loneliness, creativity and friendship, Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau is a picture book that fills you with that warm, fuzzy feeling and has you wishing that you too owned such a fine collection of head wear. The Illustrated Forest A sweet reminder that however different the hats we wear may be, we are united by a common thread Maria Popova, Brain Pickings This is a whimsical and charming book which celebrates creativity, generosity and thoughtfulness from start to finish. Playing By The Book Blog. 'This is a charming tale of a lonely hat maker who matches customers to the perfect hats, but lacks her own perfect match in life. Smallish Magazine
Author
About Andrea Beaty
Andrea Beaty is the author of many beloved children’s books, including the bestselling Questioneers series, I Love You Like Yellow, Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau, and One Girl. She lives just outside Chicago.
"I was raised in southern Illinois in a town so small I knew everybody and their pets. And they all knew me. I was one of six kids and we spent our summer days traipsing through the fields and forests hunting for adventure. We often found it. And sometimes it found us. Always, it was fun and often, we laughed so hard we blew Orange Crush or Grape Nehi Soda out our noses. I still avoid Grape Nehi . . . just in case. I was a big reader as a kid and LOVED Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon Mysteries. Then I moved on to Agatha Christie books and then the classics. Don’t tell anyone, but my secret ambition is to star in a Broadway musical and I am often tempted to break into song and dance at very odd moments. Mostly in the frozen food section of my grocery store. They have very good lighting."
