Tom's Hats
Blue bananas Series
on Goodreads (5)
What’s inside...
This story for beginner readers has clear type and brightly coloured pictures on every page. When Tom and Emma sail to Monster Island to have tea they get captured by fierce space pirates but a friendly elephant saves them and takes them home. Tom's hat collection takes him and his sister, Emma, sailing to Monster Island, to the moon for a quick snack, and it helps them get captured by fierce space pirates. When they land back on earth, Tom's zoo-keeper hat helps them gain the aid of a friendly elephant to take them back home.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
4-8
Length
48 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
Why do you think Tom has so many different hats?
Which of Tom's hats is your favorite and why?
How do Tom's hats help him with his adventures?
What would you do if you had a hat like Tom’s?
How do you think Tom feels when he wears his hats?
Tip: Role play these questions
Show genuine interest in their responses to encourage deeper thinking.
Relate the hats in the story to hats or special items your child owns, making the conversation relevant to their experiences.
Ask follow-up questions based on their answers to keep the conversation flowing and thought-provoking.
Use expressive facial expressions and voice modulation to make the discussion more lively and engaging.
Encourage your child to draw or create a hat of their own, discussing each step to foster creativity linked to the story.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Importance of Sharing
Explanation: Throughout 'Tom's Hats', Tom learns the value of sharing his collection of hats with his friends, which enhances their playtime and strengthens their friendships.
Real-World Application: Children can learn the importance of sharing their own toys or belongings with peers, fostering a more cooperative and joyful environment at school or in playgroups.
Example Lesson: Creativity and Imagination
Explanation: The story encourages children to use their imagination as Tom and his friends come up with various games and adventures using different hats.
Real-World Application: This lesson inspires children to use their creativity in play or learning activities, helping them to think outside the box and enjoy a rich world of imaginative possibilities.
Example Lesson: Empathy and Understanding
Explanation: Tom's Hats' portrays how Tom begins to understand his friends' feelings and viewpoints as they discuss who gets to wear which hat.
Real-World Application: This can help children grasp the concept of empathy, teaching them to consider others' emotions and perspectives in real-life social interactions.
Example Lesson: Coping with emotions
Explanation: The book deals with moments of disagreement or envy as characters desire specific hats, showing children how Tom and his friends navigate these feelings productively.
Real-World Application: It offers a practical framework for children to manage their own emotions and resolve conflicts with others in a constructive way.