A Hat for Every Harriet

A Hat for Every Harriet by Jess Horn, illustrated by Zoë Bennett (Affirm Press) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781923293243

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Harriet has lots of different hats, such as her Sensible Hat for crossing the road, her Listener Hat for paying attention in class, and her Calm-Down Hat for upsetting situations. But when her class has to decorate the hall for the school dance, she doesn’t know which Harriet to be – so she piles all of the hats on top of her head. Before long, they fall with a crash! Her friend tells her to just be herself, so Harriet tiptoes into the dance without any hat at all. And she has fun as Just Harriet.

Crafted with care for kids aged four to eight, Jess Horn’s gentle text examines how neurodivergent children manage to navigate a world that is not made for them, and this encourages empathy and acceptance in neurotypical readers. But the story also empowers all youngsters to recognise their own worth, and to be brave enough to reveal their truth to others.

Zoë Bennett avoids intense visuals, using a delicate colour palette to complement the quiet consideration of the words. There is a delightful whimsy to the hat illustrations – big bunny ears for listening, a chequered cone for having fun – which is appealing. The characters ooze charm and connection, and this warmth washes over the pages and straight into readers’ hearts.

Children love to dress up, and A Hat for Every Harriet builds on this with an emotional layer of learning delivered in a kind and compassionate manner. This is the ideal book for anyone who is struggling with the weight of social expectations.