Hiro’s Hats

PreS-Gr 2–Kleven’s joyous art is instantly recognizable to her readers. The colorful palette and use of movement and fantastical detail make her stories page-turning reads. In this picture book, Hiro is a young a snow monkey living in the rugged mountains of Japan who notices a colorful bird gliding toward the ground. It’s not a bird, after all, but a hat taken by the wind. To Hiro, it is a toy and despite being teased by his brother, he plays with his newfound toy constantly. During a windy storm, Hiro’s toy blows away and his friend, Robin, flies off in search of it. After a time, the robin reappears with the pom-pom from the top of the hat but Hiro decides it makes a perfect hat for Robin. Throughout the winter, Hiro and Robin keep themselves warm together. The very last page shows a little girl reaching for a hat, once hers, caught in the wind and wonders where it went on its travels. A page of back matter provides information on the Snow Monkeys of Japan.