A Frog Inside my Hat, Fay Robinson, Publisher's Weekly, 1993

• The jaunty, green spotted frog on the cover of this inviting collection of simple poems is a cheerful indication of what readers will find inside. With few exceptions the poems are short (many of them three or four lines), uncomplicated and suitable for reading to preschoolers.

A Hat for Minerva Loise, Janet Morgan Stoeke, Puffin Books, 1997

• A hat is not a hat. But this "non-hat" is just the right hat. And, we need one when it's cold outside.

A Pageant of Hats: Ancient and Modern, Ruth Edwards Kilgour, Robert M. McBride Co., 1958

• Kilgour spent 22 years and traveled 160,000 miles at a cost of $100,000 to collect what may very well be the greatest collection of hats in the world. The book, organized by continent, is a travelogue as well as an expression of her great appreciation and fount of information about hats and headdress. More than 150 black and white photographs illustrate every hat described.

A Three Hat Day, Laura Geringer, Artwork by Arnold Lobel, HarperCollins, 1985

• On a no-good day R. R. Pottle the Third wears three hats and his dream of meeting the perfect wife - in the perfect hat, of course - comes true.

Abe Lincoln's Hat, Martha Brenner, Artwork by Donald Cook, Random House, 1994

• This book introduces young readers to American history, specifically Abe Lincoln. We learn that Lincoln's iconic hat was more than simply an item of apparel -- it also served as a "file cabinet" for important papers and letters.

African Hats and Jewelry, Duncan Clarke, Chartwell Books Inc., 1998

• The large format of this book, 14 x 10 inches, allows for some outstanding, full page, detailed photographs. From our founder's point of view, Chapter Four "Displaying The Head, African Hats and Headdresses", is worth the price of the book.

Arts of the Amazon, Peter G. Roe (Text), Barbara Braun (Editor), Thames and Hudson, 1995

• Many wonderful examples of Amazonian headdresses are included in this beautifully produced volume.

Aunt Flossie's Hats (And Crab Cakes Later), Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, Artwork by James Ransome, Clarion Books, 1991

• Susan and Sarah visit their great aunt Flossie every Sunday. They love going through her many boxes of hats, each with a story. The hats serve as important family heirlooms and as a means of connection to family history. A great book celebrating Black families and family history based on the author's own great-aunt.

Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat, Alice Low, Artwork by Laura Huliska-Beith, HarperCollins, 2004

• Spacey Aunt Lucy thinks she lost her hat. She sets off to buy a new one but distractions abound. A fun book that will keep kids engaged.

Bad Cat Puts on His Top Hat, Tracy McGuinness, Little, Brown Young Readers, 2005

• Sequel to Bad Cat by McGuinness. Follow misunderstood "Bad" Cat as he goes along inadvertently making the world a better place.

Ball Cap Nation: A Journey Through The World of America's National Hat, James Lilliefors, Clerisy Press, 2009

• Without a doubt, this is the most complete book to date on the iconic Ball Cap.
• Read Hat Shop Fred's Review! [Blog link]

Bamboo Hats and a Rice Cake, Ann Tompert, Artwork by Demi, Crown, 1993

• Adapted from Japanese folklore, this book spins the tale of an elderly couple forced to trade possessions for rice cakes in celebration of the new year.

Blue Hat, Green Hat, Sandra Boynton, Boynton Bookworks, 1984

• Learn about colors, clothes, and getting dressed in this classic board book for young children.

Bowler Hats and Stetsons: Stories of Englishmen in the Wild West, Colin Richards, Bonanza Books, 1966

• The title of this book alone qualifies it for inclusion in this index. The has nothing to do with hats per se, but instead discusses the role played by British immigrants and capital in the story of the American West during the 19th Century.

Casey's New Hat, Tricia Gardella, Artwork by Margot Apple, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997

• Casey has outgrown her old hat and searches everywhere for the right replacement. Anyone who has gone hat shopping in an effort to replace and old "friend" knows her dilemma.

Cowboys & Hatters: Bond Street, Sagebrush, & the Silver Screen, Debbie Henderson, Kent State University Museum, 1996

• This book details the "The Cowboys and Hatters Exhibit," (produced and executed by Debbie Henderson, PhD) a historical and sociological study of the evolution of men's hats. This exhibition and book explore hat-making, hat-wearing and hat iconography through time.

Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head, Mary Jo Arnoldi & Christine Mullen Kreamer, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California Los Angeles, 1995

• This beautiful, scholarly book studies the cultural history and lore of African headwear. Mary Jo Arnoldi is a curator at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; Christine Mullen Kreamer is senior curator at the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats, Michael Cunningham & Craig Marberry, Doubleday, 2000

• This book started a minor sensation inspiring plays, merchandise, television shows, and a new synonym for the sensational hats that African American women have been wearing to church for generations. This book is yet another example of the power, importance, and historical significance of headwear.

Do You Have a Hat?, Eileen Spinelli, Artwork by Geraldo Valerio, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2004

• Certain individuals are so closely associated with their hats that it is hard to think of either the hat or the person without the other coming to mind - Abe Lincoln and his stove-pipe top hat, Carmen Miranda and her towering hat of fruit, Daniel Boone and his coonskin hat - to name a few. This book introduces youngsters to these folks as well as other historical figures the likes of Walt Whitman, Francisco de Goya, Amelia Earhart, and others.

Dressed for the Occassion: What Americans Wore 1620-1970, Brandon Marie Miller, Lerner Publications Company, 1999

• This book traces the story of American fashion. The dozens of drawings and photographs show Americans wearing hats throughout the centuries as was de rigueur until the 1960s. The Hat Act of 1732, which forbade the export of beaver felt hats made in the colonies, is also briefly discussed.

El Sombrero de Paja Toquilla, Miguel Ernesto Dominguez, Banco Central del Ecuador, 1991

• What we call "Panama hats" in N. America and Europe, are called "sombreros de paja toquilla" in the country of their origin, Ecuador. This 1991 Spanish language edition covers the history and economics of this very important industry in Ecuador. It also contains numerous interesting photographs of people practicing their craft and business.
• Lo que llamamos <<sombreros panamá>> en Norteamérica y Europa, en su país de origen, Ecuador, se les llama <<sombreros de paja toquilla.>> Esta edición en español de 1991 cubre la historia y la economía de esta industria tan importante en Ecuador. También contiene numerosas fotografías interesantes de personas practicando su oficio y negocio.

Gilded, Catherine Karp, Xlibris Corporation, 2000

• This romance novel is set in a small New England town in the late 19th Century. The story revolves around Emma, the unfortunate young wife of the overbearing town mayor, Emma's friends, and the owner of a new hat shop in town, Frederick Ash (a hat store owner named Fred!). This new millinery shop and its handsome hatter have a profound effect on Hollybrook.

Grinelda The Mad Hatter, Mary Jo Reinhart, Artwork by Paula Nathan, Gumboot Books, 2008

• It's true that people who wear hats have often been seen as eccentric, outside the fashion mainstream. (Fortunately for us, this is rapidly changing.) As Grinelda appreciates, hat-making is an art form and staying true to your art will pay dividends in the long run.

Hat Tricks: 80 Instant Makeovers That Transform Ordinary Hats Into Fabulous Creations, Terence Terry, Lark Books, 1998

• A crafty book with great tips on how to spiff up hats. The book is organized into about 20 chapters, with excellent pictures, taking one step-by-step through makeovers of specific hats. Amateur milliners as well as people who enjoy fun and different crafts projects will appreciate this book.

Hatless Jack: The President, The Fedora, and the History of an American Style, Neil Steinberg, Plume (Penguin Group), 2004

• In our business there is an awful lot of hand-wringing about the good old days when all well-dressed men wore hats. Hatters opine and whine about President Kennedy's refusal to wear hats resulting in a devastating effect on the industry. Neil Steinberg sets the record straight and debunks the assumption that JFK ruined the hat business. This is a well-researched and entertaining book, full of information and anecdotes pertaining to the historical importance of hats in American culture.

Hats and the Cowboys Who Wear Them, Texas Bix Bender, Gibbs-Smith, 1994

• A little, inexpensive paperback chock full of anecdotes on the Western Hat.
• Read Hat Shop Fred's blog about "The Ten Hat Commandments" from this book. [Blog Link]

Hats in Vogue Since 1910, Christina Probert, Abbeville Press, 1981

• The title refers specifically to Vogue Magazine and divides this thumbnail history and pictorial on women's hats by decade starting with "The Teens" and ending with "The Seventies."

Hats Off to John Stetson, Mary Blount Christian, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992

• This is a biography of the famous American hatter John B. Stetson, 1830-1906, written for young readers. It's the old work hard, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, American success story.

Hats: A History of Fashion in Headwear, Hilda Amphlett, Richard Sadler Ltd., 1974

• This is a rather scholarly work on the history of hats covering the past two thousand years. The arrangement is chronological, by century. If one's interest is identifying or organizing headdress by country of origin, this book is particularly useful as the illustrations include the country where the hat was worn along with the drawing.

Hats: A Stylish History and Collector's Guide, Joy Shield, Clarkson Potter, 1991

• This is one of a number of millinery books for both hat aficionados and collectors. Chapters are arranged by decades starting with the 1920s and ending with the 1960s. Serious millinery students will appreciate the good "Selected Bibliography."

Hats: Design and Construction, Stella V. Ramiasz, Artwork by Victoria Remiasz Mile, Hat Tree Studio, 1982

• Primarily a how-to-make-hats book including patterns and real swatches of fabrics and lining materials. The very thorough, 25 page alphabetical glossary of hat styles is particularly useful.

Hats: Hute, Chapeaux, Capelli, Sombreros, Hoeden, Dorine van den Beukel, Costume & Fashion Press/Quite Specific Media, 1998

• This a funny book in that it is without much organization of its content. A one-page introduction, repeated in five languages, is the extent of the text. About 350 pages follow with drawings of hats, mostly for women. Those (like a designer or milliner) who simply want headdress illustrations may find this book useful.

Hats: Status, Style & Glamour, Colin McDowell, Rizzoli, 1992

• This coffee table size and style book reviews its subject by hat style with a bias towards the hats of the UK. Big photographs and good illustrations take the reader through a brief history of top hats, boaters, bowlers, ball caps, fezzes, etc.

Hats: With Values, Desire Smith, Schiffler Publishing, 1996

• Another book on women's hats that makes a stab at valuing vintage hats. Arranged by hat material (e.g. straw, felt, etc.) and includes an index on millinery labels. Good labels like Lilly Dache, Mr. John, Frank Olive, and Sally Victor sewn on original creations are, of course, the most valuable.

Headdresses of the Chinese Minority Nationality Women, Xi Yixi, China Film Press, 1989

• Our founder, Fred, picked this up while in China in 1991. With photographs, illustrations and text this book reviews what the title denotes. The text is in English.

Hetty's 100 Hats, Janet Slingsby, Artwork by Emma Dodd, Good Books, 2005

• Hetty is an inveterate hat collector. She won't rest until she gets to one hundred hats. Young children will learn counting as well as reading.

Horace's Big Hat, Judy Palaferro, Umbridge Editions, 2011

• Ms. Palaferro's outstanding illustrations are chock full of detail. The book is geared toward emerging readers, and each page allows for good, and ever changing, discussions beyond the written word. The text respects the young reader's intelligence; there's much to learn in our big diverse world.

Jennie's Hat, Ezra Jack Keats, Harper & Row, 1966

• A children's tale about Jennie and her obsession with hats (she even sneezes "HAT-CHOO!"). The book's theme revolves around hat trimmings, a vital element in the success of any finished hat.

Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope, Trudy Krisher, Artwork by Nadine Bernard Westcott, Albert Whitman, 1992

• Kathy tells her childhood story and of her bout with cancer. The significance of hats in her life have twists and turns as the story moves from Kathy's life before cancer, during chemotherapy, and finally to remission.

La Ruta De Los Panamas, Tom Miller, Debate, 2003

• This is the Spanish version of Tom Miller's The Panama Hat Trail (1986).
• Esta es la edición en español del título original <<The Panama Hat Trail>> (1986).

Little Red Cowboy Hat, Susan Lowell, Artwork by Randy Cecil, Holt, 1997

• An American Southwest setting for the classic "Little Red Riding Hood" tale. Red's cowboy hat replaces Red's hood and the rest is literary history. Great illustrations of the Southwest and a right-on grandma from American pioneer stock, "That yellow-bellied, snake-blooded, skunk-eyed, rancid son of a parallelogram! . . . This time he picked the wrong grandma!"

Madeline and the Bad Hat, Ludwig Bemelmans, The Viking Press, 1985

• Pepito, the son of the next-door-neighbor Spanish ambassador is a "bad hat." His life changes as a result of a traumatic event where Miss Clavel and Madeline save the day.

Magritte: The True Art of Painting, Harry Torczyner, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1977

• Because of artist Rene Magritte's use of the bowler hat in so many of his works, no self respecting collection of books on hats would be without at least one of the many books on Magritte's work.
• Why did he use the bowler hat so often as an image in his work? Read The Man in the Bowler Hat: His History and Iconography by Fred Miller Robinson.

Men's Hats / Il Cappello da Uomo, Adele Campione, BE-MA Editrice, 1988

• This small format book pictures men's hats with Italian and English descriptions beginning with the 14th Century and ending around 1950. A brief history ends the volume.
• This is the companion work to Women's Hats / Il Cappello Da Donna by the same author and publisher.

Milo's Hat Trick, Jon Agee, Disney-Hyperion, 2001

• Milo the Magician needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat (literally and figuratively) or he is going to be out of a job. A much bigger animal comes to his rescue.

Miss Fannie's Hat, Jan Karon, Artwork by Toni Goffe, Augsburg Books, 1998

• The author's grandmother's hats serve as a point of departure for memories and stories - sweet and sentimental.

Miss Hunnicutt's Hat, Jeff Brumbeau, Artwork by Gail Marcken, Orchard Books, 2003

• Miss Hunnicutt insists on her right to wear an eccentric (to say the least) hat even though the townspeople object. Ultimately, she gets the attention of one pretty important person.

Mr. Frumble's Biggest Hat Flap Book, Richard Scarry, Little Simon, 2002

• Mr. Frumble and his hat are friends. The hat is greeted in the morning when Mr. Frumble awakens. One day his hat flies out the window and is run over in the street by various vehicles. A fun, interactive book for little ones.

Mr. George and the Red Hat, Stephen Heigh, KRBY Creations, LLC, 2004

• Mr. George and the Red Hat is a wonderful children's story featuring the stunning artwork of award-winning artist and author Stephen Heigh. The book is ideal for children 2-8 years old, teaching through a story of giving.

Mr. Lock of St. James Street, Frank Whitbourn, William Heinemann Ltd, 1971

• It is hard to imagine that a single retail store that began in 1676 and moved its location once, in 1764, could still be in business today. In fact, Lock & Co. at #6 St. James Street in London is such a store. Whitbourn, a relative of the proprietors, writes of the twists and turns of the shop's history.

Mrs. Honey's Hat, Pam Adams, Child's Play Intl Ltd, 1980

• A large aspect of the history of millinery (women's hats) includes the ever-changing and anything-goes area of hat trimmings. This book is about that. Mrs. Honey had quite an eventful week as her hat evolved day by day.

My Lucky Hat, Kenin O'Malley, Mondo Publishing, 1999

• When Frank wins two tickets to the Knights baseball game, he knows he has his lucky hat to thank. When Frank's favorite player begins to strike out, Frank saves the day for The Knights by loaning him his lucky hat.

Nineteenth Century Hat Maker's and Felter's Manuals, Compiled by Suzanne Pufpaff, Stony Lonesome Press, 1995

• Two reproduced manuals, one from the 1829 (author unknown) and the other first published in 1868 by John Thomson. Part learned craft, part "black magic" personal recipe, felt-making and the resulting quality of the product produced varies considerably. An interesting and esoteric book tracing the state of the art in the mid-19th Century.

Old Hat New Hat, Stan & Jan Berenstain, Random House Children's Books, 1970

• A children's hat book classic. Brother Bear goes shopping for a hat and learns about the concepts of color and shape.

Ommaggio al Cappello: A Tribute to the Hat, Edited by Mario Carrieri, Giuseppe Trevisani, and Massimo Vignelli, Arte Grafiche A. Pizzi, 1957

• A retrospective of the hat as art with the world-famous Borsalino Hat Company's 100th birthday as the motivation. Wonderful plates of fine art reproductions with the subjects in hats highlight this book. Village Hat Shop is a proud importer of Borsalino hats.

Pajama Sam the Magic Hat Tree, Gina Gold, Artwork by Sue DiCicco, Lyrick Publishing, 2000

• The transforming nature of hats, a recurring theme in writings about headgear, is again highlighted in this book. The primary appeal for kids will be all the pull-tabs and lift-the-flap type stuff going on, non-stop, during the reading.

Panama: A Legendary Hat, Martine Buchet, Editions Assouline, 1995

• A book on the incredible history, production, and variety of the "arisocrat of straw hats," the famous Panama hat and a celebration of its country of origin, Ecuador.

Red Hat! Green Hat!, Louise Gikow, Artwork by Joe Mathieu, Golden Books, 2000

• Reminiscent of Seuss' Butter Battle Book, this story is a metaphor of how the world sometimes gets out of whack. Most things in life are not simply black or white (or shall we say red or green). One's point of view can be a case of selective perception and be quite different from the truth of the matter.

Saturday Night Hat, Eugenia Kim, Crown Publishing Group, 2006

• The fact that millinery can be sculpture sitting atop one's head can be a problem if the wearer isn't satisfied being simply a pedestal. Eugenia Kim understands that hats can fit comfortably and may even be practical as well as venture into the realm of fine art. This delightful book will satisfy the whimsy of both hat lovers and hat makers. Kim is a serious milliner who adds humor to her work's objective (chapter titles are also a hoot e.g. "Cloche Encounters" and "The Prodigal Sun Hat"). The book comes complete with instructions and patterns for making the featured hats, hat care information, a feather guide, and an abbreviated glossary.

Sixty Years of Kangol Quality: 1938-1998, Nigel Watson, Nigel Watson Histories, 1998

• Starting with the Kangol beret in 1938, this thin, soft-cover volume traces the history of Kangol Hats and Caps, Britain's best known cloth headwear manufacturer. (You know, the famous hats with the kangaroo logo).

Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Company, 1865-1970, John B. Snyder, Schiffler Publishing, 1997

• Do you have an old Stetson hat and wonder what it's worth? This book may help. It also contains a history of the company, photographs, as well as a section on women's hats manufactured by Stetson.

Tejiendo La Vida, Maria Leonor Aquilar de Tamariz, Centro Interamericano de Artesanias y Artes Populares, CIDAP, 1988

• This Spanish language book is about Ecuador's Panama hat industry ("paja toquilla", not "Panama," to the Ecuadorians). The book begins with a discussion of the material, Carludovica palmata, used in the weaving of the hats. It further covers the history of the hats, weaving techniques, etc. The book has a good glossary on terms used in the Panama hat trade.
• Este libro en español se trata sobre la industria del sombrero panamá de Ecuador (<<paja toquilla>>, no <<Panamá>> para los ecuatorianos). El libro comienza con una discusión sobre el material, Carludovica palmata, utilizado para tejer los sombreros. Cubre además la historia de los sombreros, las técnicas de tejido, etc. El libro tiene un buen glosario sobre los términos utilizados en el comercio del sombrero panamá.

Terms of Adornment: The Ultimate Guide to Accessories, Deborah Chase, HarperCollins, 1999

• The dust jacket cover adds "everything you need to know about buying, collecting, wearing, and caring for [accessories]." The table of contents is organized by clothing accessory item such as cuff links, derbys, or fishnet stockings. About 25 of the entries are hats. The primary orientation of the book is on how to wear a clothing accessory item, i.e. with what kind and color of other apparel, etc.

That Hat's Fedorable, Kirby Fopma & Holly Wojahn, Artwork by Holly Wojahn, Art Bookbindery, 2012

• That Hat’s Fedorable is a great children’s book. With colorful illustrations and rhyming words, kids are bound to stay interested. The illustrations somewhat resemble Matisse—the artist of the well known painting, “Woman in a Hat”—and go along great with the story. This story book is also great for learning about hats all around the world, from the American baseball cap to the French beret. If you’re not quite sure what the hat you’re reading about is, there’s a glossary at the end of the book that describes the unfamiliar hat or term.
• That Hat’s Fedorable comes complete with a seven track CD that contains songs about the hats featured in the book. Both catchy and upbeat, the songs by Rodger and Scott Wojahn are enjoyable and fun!

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, Dr. Seuss, The Vanguard Press, 1938

• This great, lesser known Seuss story addresses the fact that the hat has historically served to establish the individual's rank in society and that relationship to the origins of hat etiquette.

The Case of the Missing Hat Starring Jim Henson's Muppets, Gregory Williams, Artwork by Rosekrans Hoffman, Muppets Press / Random House, 1982

• Fozzie Bear cannot go on stage and perform without his missing hat. Distraught, he sniffs, "My hat and I - we were a team." Not so far fetched a premise; can you imagine Charlie Chaplin without his Bowler?

The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss, Random House, 1957

• A children's book classic. Sally and her brother are home alone and bored. The Cat in the Hat appears and chaos ensues.

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Dr. Seuss, Random House, 1958

• Sequel to The Cat in the Hat (above), the timeless classic from Dr. Seuss.

The Century of Hats: Headturning Style of the Twentieth Century, Susie Hopkins, Chartwell Books, Inc., 1999

• This coffee table style book is organized by decade and full of illustrations and photographs.

The Christmas Hat, The Christmas Hat, Artwork by Maggie Kneen, Templar, 2004

• A keepsake quality book with embossed illustrations, high-quality binding, and dust jacket. A lovely story set in the North Woods - nature enthusiasts will find this delightful.

The Collector's Encyclopedia of Hatpins and Hatpin Holders, Lillian Baker, Self-Published, 1993

• This 200 page compendium complete with photographs, illustrations, history (including legal rulings and laws regarding the hat pin's use as a weapon), etc. is the hat pin fancier's bible.

The Cowboy Hat Book, William Reynolds & Ritch Rand, Gibbs Smith, 1995

• The cowboy hat is an American icon. If you have an interest in the culture of the American West, the story of the evolution of this hat style, great pictures - old and new - of both hats and people wearing them, then you'll like this book. The book credits John B. Stetson with inventing the hat which, to this day, remains a matter of opinion.

The Handmade Felt Hat, Debbie Henderson, Wild Goose Press, 2001

• This book discusses the history, construction, and manufacture of the handmade felt hat. The process and tools of the trade are detailed with illustrations.

The Hat, Tomi Ungerer, Parents' Magazine Press, 1970

• A magical black top hat floats onto the bald head of Benito Badoglio, a penniless veteran. Everyday that the hat accompanies Benito, it "performs" something heroic, like stopping a flowerpot from falling on a wealthy tourist's head, rescuing a rare bird, or extinguishing a fire inside a baby carriage. This magical, black hat makes Benito a wealthy man in his own right, thereby heaping riches and love upon him.

The Hat, Jan Brett, G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 1997

• A misbegotten woolen stocking becomes a "hat" when it gets stuck on the prickly head of a hedgehog. Hedgehog feels silly, is full of excuses with regard to what he is wearing, but just cannot free himself from this "hat". The ending is a surprise.

The Hat Book, Rodney Smith & Leslie Smolan, Doubleday, 1993

• This attractive, artsy book comes with a grosgrain hat trim book mark. Its black and white photographs, poems, hat ditties from literature, and essays treat the hat as an object of art.

The Magic Hat, Mem Fox, Artwork by Tricia Tusa, Beach Lane Books, 2002

• A magic hat appears in the sky bringing magic with it wherever it lands. Then a wizard arrives! A fun and lyrical book loved by children the world over.

The Man in the Bowler Hat: His History and Iconography, Fred Miller Robinson, The University of North Carolina Press, 1993

• Professor Robinson uses the bowler hat (or Derby) as the medium in understanding modernism and the modern world. Introduced in 1950 (see Mr. Lock of St. James Street) the hat had rather significant meaning to the emerging middle class. He furthermore explores the hat's resonance in art and literature.

The Mode in Hats and Headdress, R. Turner Wilcox, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1945

• Out of print since 1945, this book is the prize of our collection. Not easy to find, this "classic hat book" traces the history of hats and headdress in the Western world starting with "Ancient Egypt" and ending with "United States, 1940-1944." Between are 330 pages, 193 of which are full page illustrations of hats worn by men and women throughout history. A great resource for theater people, names and descriptions are included with the hats pictured on heads.

The Mouse, the Cat, and Grandmother's Hat, Nancy Willard & Jennifer Matheson, Little, Brown and Company, 2003

• A mouse hiding under Grandmother's hat causes quite a commotion at her surprise birthday party.

The Panama Hat Trail: A Journey From South America, Tom Miller, William Morrow & Company, 1986

• Miller's book is a good read on traveling in Ecuador (where the best panama hats are made), written by a professional writer in this genre (On The Border, Trading With The Enemy: Travels Through Castro's Cuba, among others). This is a first-hand account as Miller follows the making of these hats from the growing and harvesting of the panama hat plant (Cardoluvica palmata), through the process of curing and preparation for weaving, the weaving itself, the various markets along the way, the chain of distribution of the hat bodies, their exportation around the world, the making of finished hats in a North American hat factory, and finally the sale to a San Diego retail hat store.

The Quangle Wangle's Hat, Edward Lear, Artwork by Louise Voce, Candlewick Press, 2005

• Original poem by Edward Lear published in 1876.
• The Quangle Wangle shares his hat with a motley crew of creatures in this silly classic tale by the celebrated English poet.

The Romance of Hats, Editors of Victoria Magazine, Hearst Books, 1899

• This small volume profiles 4 modern milliners and includes some nice photographs and little textual ditties on women's hats.

The Scarecrow's Hat, Ken Brown, Andersen Press Ltd, 2000

• Starting with the Scarecrow's hat, all the animals barter in an effort to get what they need.

The Top Hat: An Illustrated History, Debbie Henderson, The Wild Goose Press, 2000

• A short and well-written history covering one of the icons of headwear. Chock full of good illustrations, Ms. Henderson devotes one chapter to the history of the top hat and another to its manufacturing. The appendix discusses how silk top hats and collapsible opera hats are made. The book includes a good bibliography for those who want to pursue this topic in greater depth.

The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin', Bill Zehme, Harper Collins, 1997

• Although not about hats per se (but rather an Old Blue Eyes biography) the title and the many photos with Sinatra in hats make this volume eligible for inclusion in this bibliography. "No one wore a hat like Dad did" says Nancy Sinatra in the Style chapter.

Twelve Hats For Lena: A Book of Months, Karen Katz, Simon and Schuster, 2002

• Lena Katz makes a hat for each month of the year. The book includes a hat-making tutorial "How To Make Lots of Hats From One Simple Pattern".

Uncle Nacho's Hat / El Sombrero del Tio Nacho, Adapted by Harriet Rohmer, Artwork by Mira Reisberg, Children's Book Press, 1997

• Book by Alma Flor Ada originally published in Spanish in 1989.
• Uncle Nacho's old hat is no longer serving him very well. His niece, Ambrosia, presents him with a new hat, but ridding himself of his old hat is not so easy. Written in both English and Spanish (the story is adapted from a Nicaraguan folktale), the book is not only very enjoyable in its own right, but also a great way to learn a second language.

Under My Hood I Have a Hat, Karla Kuskin, Artwork by Fumi Kosaka, HarperCollins, 2004

• Getting ready to go outside in the dead of winter is no joke! This witty book features a young narrator describing all her wintery layers of clothing as she takes them off, one by one.

Vintage Hats & Bonnets 1770-1970: Identification and Values, Susan Langley, Collector Books, 1998

• Well received by vintage clothing collectors for its unique presentation, this book chronicles the history of hats and bonnets, accompanied by vintage photographs of women wearing the items. A must-have for collectors of vintage hats and clothing.

What a Hat!, Holly Keller, Greenwillow Books, 2003

• Henry makes fun of his cousin Newton for always wearing his hat, but the hat comes in handy for Henry's sister Wizzie.

When Everybody Wore a Hat, William Steig, Joanna Cotler Books, 2003

• A delightful children's book about the boyhood of its author, then 95 year old William Steig. The book is both personal and historical as Steig recounts the time in America "when everybody wore a hat." Steig, an artist whose drawings appeared regularly in "The New Yorker" magazine since 1930, is both the books's illustrator and writer.

Which Hat is That?, Anna Grossnickle Hines, Artwork by LeUyen Pham, Harcourt, 2002

• Most of us wear many hats. This book takes it literally, showing young readers which hats are worn for which activities. Kids will like flipping the flaps that reveal the names of the hats.

Who Took the Famer's Hat?, Joan L. Nodset, Artwork by Fritz Siebel, Perma-Bound Books, 1963

• A great children's book. The world we see depends on the world we know. Not everyone will see things the same way that you do.

Who's Under That Hat?, David A. Carter, Red Wagon Books, 2005

• A pop-up book with various animals hiding under different kinds of hats - with a surprise last animal.

Women Hats of the 20th Century: For Designers and Collectors with Price Guide, Maureen Reilly & Beth Detrich, Schiffler Publishing, 1997

• This is the most complete book of its kind on modern women's hats. A 256 page, hard cover, it is full of information and photography. It also makes the "bold" step of attaching values to vintage hats.

Women's Hats / Il Cappello Da Donna, Adele Campione, BE-MA Editrice, 1989

• This small format pictorial celebrates women's hats from 1880 to 1969. The text is in both English and Italian.
• This is the companion volume to Men's Hats / Il Cappello da Uomo by the same author and publisher.

Zoe's Hats: A Book of Colors and Patterns, Sharon Lane Holm, Highlights Press, 2009

• An introductory reading book where hats are used as a vehicle to learn words, colors and patterns. Each page presents a front, full-face view of Zoe wearing different hats.