The Children of Hat Cottage

K-Gr 3—First published in Swedish in 1930, this book captures the mood of a tale told long ago. A "little woman" and her three children live on an island in a cottage shaped like a hat. Before she goes to the mainland to buy yarn to make them clothes, the mother tells the youngsters that if they are good while she's away, she will bake sweet honey cakes. The children decide to surprise her and sweep the chimney. Of course, they end up covered in soot so they bathe and wash their clothes in a tub over a fire. The blaze gets out of control, and a "little man" who lives in a tree trunk on the mainland within sight of the Hat Cottage rows over to help put out the flames. The house can't be saved, so he builds a new cottage and puts the children to bed. When their mother returns, she is beside herself. The little man's solution is to marry her. The family spends the winters in the man's tree trunk where it is warm and cozy and summers in the cottage where it is warm and sunny. They live happily ever after. Despite the disconcerting plot element of the fire, this story is quite charming. Watercolor hues create a whimsical feel, and white space accentuates the lively drawings, which are beautifully done. This is a cozy, old-fashioned read-aloud that should find an appreciative audience.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY