Listen to
"Circle Up,"
our theme song!
Once upon a time, two happy birds
were dancing high in the sky.
Try On My Hat! is the new anti-bias children's picture book. It's a fast-paced
story about building friendships across cultural differences.
"Whoo-hoo!" whooped Avery.
"Whee-hee!" whistled Rosalia.
The dancers are Avery, the world-famous dove of peace, and his friend Rosalia, a Latina bird-of-paradise. When they realize that they need hats to keep the sun out of their eyes, they seek help from the multi-cultural animal friends on their island home.
"Usch!" said Ragnar the seagull.
"Mewsh!" said Lakpa the kitten.
Ragnar the Scandinavian seagull, Lakpa the Asian kitten, Ricotta the European mouse, Jubnah the Middle Eastern mouse, and Grandma Bibi the African snake all pitch in with ideas about hats from their own countries. They help Avery and Rosalia find the right hats to wear in the sun.
Grandma Bibi's smile grew as big as the sun. "Look at all our wonderful hats!"
Children learn about Swedish hunting hats, Asian farmer hats, Italian summer hats, and Arab and African headwraps and how those hats connect us to friends and family all over the world.
Try On My Hat! is a 36-page paperback picture book
with full-color illustrations for ages 0-6. It has been designed for children and their grown-ups to laugh and learn together.
SURPRISE!
Almost every page has little surprises for you and your child to discover: Are there mice hiding in that tree? Are those words upside down? What is the cat doing now? What is that elephant eating?
Learning, laughter, and love is shared each time Try On My Hat! is read.
BONUS CONTENT!
Try On My Hat has six pages of extra educational
content:
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A map of "Hats of the World," to help you understand all the creative contributions that different countries have made to hat fashion and function.
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A guide to "Hats, Names, and Other New Words" to help you pronounce new words and learn more about the hats in the book.
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Step-by-step instructions on how to tie a simple bow-tie headwrap" to let you and your child join in the fun of trying on new hats.
What is an Anti-Bias book?
"Anti-Bias" is an educational philosophy where all cultures are equal, all voices matter, and everyone stands up for each other. Children learn to be proud of themselves and their family culture.
Try On My Hat! teaches that good ideas come from anyone and anywhere, and learning to listen, respect, and appreciate differences makes life better for everyone.
​
My dad taught me, "To have good friends, you have to be a good friend." It's my belief that we pave the way to a better world when we make friends across differences.
How do we learn to appreciate and celebrate cultural differences? By sharing personal stories, by listening with interest and empathy, and by contributing to each other's lives.
I was fortunate to grow up in a multi-national family in a multi-ethnic neighborhood where people enthusiastically shared each other’s cultures and traditions.
My vision is a world where people are celebrated for the contributions they make, rather than being judged by their gender, race, religion, or cultural background.
From the Author
