stART: Miss Hunnicutt’s Hat
Hats On!
Show off your style — make a unique hat.
• tissue paper (various colors)
• masking tape
• Miss Hunnicutt’s Hat, by Jeff Brumbeau
• grocery sacks (optional)
• markers (optional)
Miss Hunnicutt’s Hat describes one woman’s determination to wear her unusual but favorite hat in honor of the Queen’s visit to her town. As you progress through the book, encourage your child to predict what will happen next — when Miss Hunnicutt leaves her house, as the baker’s truck comes down the street, when the Queen arrives.  After you finish reading, discuss the reactions of Miss Hunnicutt’s neighbors to her hat. Why don’t they want her to wear it? This discussion could also serve as a springboard for a conversation about people who are different from others — in the way they dress, how they look, where they are from, and so forth.
To extend the reading:
Make a hat of your own! Invite your child to select two or three pieces of tissue paper (larger sizes work best). Layer the sheets so that the centers line up, but fan out the sheets so the edges are at angles to each other.  Next, place the tissue paper over your child’s head (it will drape down over his eyes at first). Wrap masking tape around the circumference of his head at forehead level to secure the tissue paper. Then roll up the edges towards the top of his head.  Show off the hat! For even more style, cut open a grocery sack so it lays flat. Use markers to decorate the paper. Then, place the paper over your child’s head, secure with masking tape, and roll up the edges in the way described above.
Learning benefits:
• supports prediction skills
• encourages creativity
• encourages discussions about diversity
