"Miss Fannie has lots of hats. And each one is her favorite." At age 99, Miss Fannie has much history--and even more hats. She was wearing her green velour hat when she witnessed a terrible flood in 1916. Her wide-brimmed felt hat with the gleaming black feather reminds her of the hawk she caught to keep it from killing her hens and biddies. But her pink straw hat with silk roses truly is her favorite. For 35 years she's worn this hat to church every Easter Sunday, and "it always makes her feel brand-new, like Easter itself." She's not the only one who thinks it's special. When her handsome young preacher asks her to donate a hat to the church auction, Miss Fannie knows what she has to do. She takes a deep breath, thinks of her favorite verse from the Bible, "With God, all things are possible," and wraps up her pink straw hat. But she doesn't realize just how much is possible until the Easter Sunday after the auction.

Jan Kuron, popular author of the bestselling series for adults, The Mitford Years, as well as the children's book, Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, crafts a pleasing story of a charming woman (based on Kuron's own grandmother) who reaps the sweet rewards of her generosity. Toni Goffe's warm, cartoonish illustrations will make readers smile. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
PW called this tale about an elderly lady who sells her prized hat to finance a new church garden "a cheerful story that offers a worthy message while avoiding a didactic tone." All ages. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2AMiss Fannie is 99 years old, and has been wearing hats to church as long as anyone can remember. Members of the congregation always comment on her chapeaus, which range from red felt and feathers to her favorite pink straw hat with silk roses. When the church decides to have a fund-raiser, they ask the woman for one of her hats for the auction. She asks God to help her decide which one to donate and reminisces about them, revealing details of her life. Finally, she makes the biggest sacrifice: her favorite hat, which brings in enough money to fix the churchAand plant flowers the color of her hat. Goffe's line-and-watercolor illustrations have a cartoonlike quality, yet the warm colors fit the story and the hats are well drawn. The book includes reusable stickers and a storyboard, which will not last long in libraries. Adult fans of Karon's work may want to share it with youngsters, and church libraries will proudly display it on their shelves. A sweet, gentle story.AAngela J. Reynolds, West Slope Community Library, Portland, ORCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Publishers Weekly
This cheerful story offers a worthy message.

ANNOTATION

When ninety-nine-year-old Miss Fannie gives up her favorite pink straw hat with the roses, to help raise money for her church, she receives an unexpected reward.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The star of Miss Fannie's Hat is based on Jan Karon's own grandmother. "My grandmother, Miss Fannie, was so wonderful I wanted to share her with everyone," says Jan Karon. "I wrote Miss Fannie's Hat to give both children and adults a sense of family, to give them the grandmother or great-grandmother they never had, or always wished they had. Briefly, the story is about sacrifice-and the rewards that can come when we give with a willing heart."

Ninety-nine year old Miss Fannie has lots of hats, and she loves them all. But her favorite is the pink straw hat with the silk roses. That's the one Miss Fannie has worn on Easter Sunday for the past thirty-five years. When Miss Fannie's preacher asks her to donate one of her precious hats to the church auction, choosing which one to part with is no small task. This heartwarming story about the rewards of unselfish love will enchant readers young and old.

A delightful story about a delightful lady. (Children's Literature)

A sweet, gentle story. (School Library Journal)

This cheerful story offers a worthy message. (Publishers Weekly)

Author Biography: Jan Karon is the author of the best-selling Mitford series, including At Home in Mitford and A New Song, and the children's book Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In her first book for children, Karon (Out to Canaan) uses her own grandmother as model for the good-natured Miss Fannie, famous for the dazzling, wide-brimmed hats she wears to church each Sunday. Her most celebrated is a pink straw hat with silk roses, which she has worn to services on 35 consecutive Easters. When the preacher asks her to donate one of her bonnets for the church auction, Miss Fannie asks the Lord for guidance in deciding which one to give away. Not surprisingly, she selects her prized pink chapeau and her sacrifice is rewarded handsomely, as the item fetches a high enough sum to make needed repairs to the church and bankroll the planting of beds of dazzling pink roses on the grounds. In a rather sentimental conclusion, Karon notes that when people view the beds of flowers, "what they're really seeing is Miss Fannie's hat." Animated by Goffe's (Just in Case You Ever Wondered) pastel-toned, cartoon art, this cheerful story offers a worthy message while avoiding a didactic tone. Children will delight in finding (tucked into a pocket on the back endpaper) a coated sheet featuring outdoor and indoor scenes as a backdrop for Miss Fannie, for whom they can use reusable stickers to dress her in an array of outfits and millinery. All ages. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

PW called this tale about an elderly lady who sells her prized hat to finance a new church garden "a cheerful story that offers a worthy message while avoiding a didactic tone." All ages. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Carolyn Mott Ford

This is a delightful story about a delightful lady. Miss Fannie is ninety-nine years old. As the years go by, she seems to be getting smaller and smaller, but she still fusses over how she looks when she goes to church on Sunday. Miss Fannie has a collection of hats. So many hats in fact that she never seems to wear the same one twice. One Sunday the preacher asks her to contribute one of the hats to the fund-raising auction. Miss Fannie closes herself in her room, looks at all her hats and asks the Lord to help her make the right choice. It's a difficult decision for Miss Fannie because each one of the hats has a memory connected with it. Her favorite is the pink straw Easter bonnet with silk roses. It is as beautiful as the flowers that bloom each spring. Miss Fannie decides to part with the hat to help the church and she is rewarded in a very special manner. A storyboard with stickers is included with the book and will add to the young reader's enjoyment.

School Library Journal