Pajama Press

Pajama Press is very proud to announce that nine of our Spring 2017 books are featured in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids & Teens.

Adrift at Sea by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch with Tuan Ho and illustrated by Brian Deines is a Starred Selection

All the World a Poem by Gilles Tibo and illustrated by Manon Gauthier is a Starred Selection

Hat On, Hat Off by Theo Heras and illustrated by Renne Benoit is a selection

How Do You Feel? by Rebecca Bender is a selection

Rhino Rumpus by Victoria Allenby and illustrated by Tara Anderson is a Starred Selection

When the Rain Comes by Alma Fullerton and illustrated by Kim La Fave is a Starred Selection

Timo’s Party by Victoria Allenby and illustrated by Dean Griffiths is a selection

Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles by Shari Green is a Starred Selection

Next Round: A Young Athlete’s Journey to Gold by John Spray is a selection

Congratulations to all of our authors, and our sincerest thanks to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and Friesens for their continued dedication to promoting childhood literacy and quality children’s literature.

“In Hat On, Hat Off, Toronto author and librarian Theo Heras humourously captures the complexities of getting a toddler dressed and ready to go outside….Renné Benoit’s softly hued, realistic watercolour illustrations extend Theo Heras’s simple, conversational text. Subtle swatches of knitting patterns appear in background details. The little boy’s stuffed pal Bunny also wears a hat, brightly decorated with a carrot novelty print. The book’s design is very appealing to little hands, with a soft padded cover, and rounded corners. Infinitely relatable, Hat On, Hat Off is a warm, slice-of-life adventure that is perfect for sharing.”
—Linda Ludke

Click here to read the full review

“A toddler’s big sister tries to get him ready to go out, but there are so many hats to choose from. And so many things to remember.…

Theo Heras uses spare and simple language to tell a story that toddlers and preschoolers (and certainly their parents and caregivers) are sure to recognize. Renné Benoit’s soft illustrations bring the antics to life. From the assortment of fun and funky hats piled up in a basket to the facial expressions of the toddler in question, Benoit demonstrates an eye for details that matter.

…This book has a potential interactive quality that little ones are sure to enjoy.”

Read the full review on page 31 of the Spring 2017 issue of Canadian Children’s BookNews

Excerpt: “All libraries [should buy this book]”—Youth Services Book Review

Full Text: “Format: Hardcover/Board book

Rating: (1-5, 5 is a starred review) 3

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? The format of this book is a cross between a hardcover and a board book. The cover is padded and the pages are very thick cardboard, but not as thick as a board book. This is a book about a little boy who puts his hat on and takes it off many times during the day, depending on his activity. One page has a full picture and the facing page has the text, which is geared to very young toddlers….

To Whom Would You Recommend this book? This is for toddlers, 1-3

Who should buy this book? All libraries

Where would you shelve it? Children’s Books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles?  Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Sandra Pacheco, ESL teacher, Washington, D.C.”

Click here to read the full review

In Hat On, Hat Off, a little toddler plays the universally loved game of taking pieces of clothing on and off while getting ready to go outside with his big sister….

Theo Heras writes in simple, short sentences that are geared perfectly towards a toddler audience…In addition to the clear writing style, the storyline is wonderfully relatable for most toddlers who have experienced getting dressed and undressed daily with the help of a family member. Renné Benoit’s soft, pastel illustrations draw readers further into the story, as cozy scenes of knitted clothing and toys exude warmth and comfort, visually soothing young readers….

Hat On, Hat Off is a wonderful read-a-loud title for young children that should be incorporated into library and classroom collections without hesitation.

To read the entire review, check out Resource Links October 2016 issue, page 6

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This short book for will ring true for parents who have tried to put (and keep!) a hat on their toddler….

The simple and repetitive language used throughout the book works well for children who are just learning to speak and often have a limited vocabulary….Parents and children will enjoy going through the story demonstrating when the hat goes on and off.

…In addition to showcasing a wide variety of hats, [the illustrations] also feature easily identifiable images, such as cars, flowers, and toys, which many young children will be able to name aloud. The illustrations do a great job of giving visual cues for children to follow along with.

Overall, Hat On, Hat Off is a lovely little book for young children and parents, all of whom will identify with the story….

Click here to read the full review

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Heras and Benoit tell a story that every parent will relate to, using toddler-friendly language and soft watercolor illustrations. The patterns of each hat are subtly woven into the narrative as a backdrop to many of the pages that contain text….Recounting the delights and trials of toddlerhood, this charming offering makes for a fun read-aloud to share one-on-one or with a small group.

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Kirkus Reviews has reviewed Hat On, Hat Off by Sarah Ellis.

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What parent or caregiver hasn’t played the game of putting on and taking off a piece of clothing with a baby? Heras and Benoit cleverly take that experience and knit it into a story with a cute brown-skinned toddler getting ready to go outside with a pigtailed older sibling’s help with shoes and jacket sleeves. Sippy cup, pail and shovel, potty stop, and favorite stuffed animal are all required as well, but with each step the child takes one hat off and then puts another back on. The tot cycles through a hat with a bear’s face and ears, a striped hat with a pom-pom, a penguin hat with tassels, a green, knobbly hat with frog’s eyes, before returning to the bear hat—which ends up in a pile of leaves as soon as the children finally get outside. Even Bunny wears a hat (with carrots on it, of course). “Time to go out! / Need a hat. // Hats in basket / Red hat, green hat, striped hat / Which hat?” The staccato phrases are extended by the charming watercolor-and-digital illustrations that bleed off the page, creating an intimate, up-close effect. Soft colors and background patterns of knitted yarn (which only adults will notice) add a cozy feeling to the text pages. Heavyweight paper and rounded corners will help little hands to turn the pages easily. A seemingly simple story is greatly enhanced by nuanced, toddler-friendly details.

Click here to read more reviews from Kirkus.