Hello friends! Our book today is Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts, a touching tale of kindness.

In a small shop, a shy young woman makes the loveliest hats in the world, each meticulously crafted to fit its owner’s look and personality. Each day, Madame Chapeau makes her special hats, then returns to her apartment to eat a lonely dinner for one. The only exception is her birthday: she dresses in her finest couture, wears her own special hat (made for her by someone very dear), and heads to the fanciest restaurant in town to eat her birthday dinner alone. This year, as she is en route, she trips and knocks loose her special hat, which is then snatched away by a crow. Devastated, Madame Chapeau chases the bird through the streets, pleading for the return of her hat, to no avail. Passersby see the woman’s distress, and each offer their own hat to replace her lost one, but she cannot bear to ask the owners to part with their own special hats. Dejected, she returns to the restaurant, where a wonderful surprise awaits…

This one was so unexpectedly emotional, and it left the warmest feeling in my heart. On the surface, the tale of Madame Chapeau opening her heart after strangers show her the utmost kindness (and I won’t spoil the ending, which is devastatingly sweet), is a wonderful lesson for children in empathy. But through the use of subtle visual clues, and the hats as a metaphor for love, it also becomes a story about overcoming grief: though never explicitly stated, the illustrations reveal that Madame Chapeau is a widow, and her late love was the one who crafted her special hat. This detail makes the events of the story all the more devastating, then uplifting. Once again, Beaty and Roberts have crafted a quietly powerful story that stays with you long after the final page. The length is perfect, JJ and I both adored it, and this one is absolutely Baby Bookworm approved.