The Pink Hat, written and illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Schwartz & Wade, Random House. 2017. $23.99 ages 3 and up

"It was a
hard-to-reach hat.

A hard-to-reach
pink hat.

That is, until ...

a baby caught the hat.

It was a warm hat."  

I should have shared this before the Women's March last week. I'm sorry.

The author draws us into his story with a full page spread, showing a neighborhood where in one building sits an elderly woman looking out the window, while in another a little girl plays her violin. There is no hat. Turn the page to see the woman knitting a lovely pink hat. It acts as hat, tea cozy, toe warmer ... until, the cat gets hold of it.

What fun that cat has ... until, it flies out the window and lands on a tree branch. It takes time for the children who see it there to try to rescue it. In their attempt, it is knocked from the branch and lands in the arms of a delighted baby being pushed in a stroller by her mother. It is perfect ... until ....

You get the picture. It passes from one place to the next, until the young violinist rescues it. It is in need of a wash. Ready to be worn, it becomes an every day accessory for her. In fact, it's perfect to wear while marching with so many others wearing pink and speaking up for women's rights.

The hot pink knit hat is the bright spot from beginning to end, and pink is the predominant color for the entire book. The rest of the illustrations are done in black and white line drawings that give real emphasis to this symbol of that first march.