NOOK Book (NOOK Kids) 
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Overview

Frank and Carl have plenty of hats to sell, and their booth is open for business . . . but no one is buying! Everyone is crazy about Blue Monkey's skateboards, Mister Pig's Cup O' Mud and Big Ox's remote-control robot cell phones--so what's their secret?

Dave Horowitz's cast of crazy characters is sure to delight young readers. The world of retail has never been more entertaining than in the story of these two friends determined to understand what on earth their customers really need.

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More About This Book

Overview

Frank and Carl have plenty of hats to sell, and their booth is open for business . . . but no one is buying! Everyone is crazy about Blue Monkey's skateboards, Mister Pig's Cup O' Mud and Big Ox's remote-control robot cell phones--so what's their secret?

Dave Horowitz's cast of crazy characters is sure to delight young readers. The world of retail has never been more entertaining than in the story of these two friends determined to understand what on earth their customers really need.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Set over the course of a workweek, this lighthearted story offers a few business tips for how to succeed in the marketplace. When Frank the bear and Carl the fish fail to sell their boring, brown bowler hats, they look to nearby profitable retailers for advice. "What's your secret?" they ask Blue Monkey, a successful skateboard vendor. "Everybody likes skateboards," he answers. Mister Pig thrives because he advertises his "Cup o' Mud" all over town, while Big Ox sells "remote control robot cell phones" that are "new and exciting, man." Frank and Carl's lame attempts to compete initially fail, but Horowitz's (Duck Duck Moose) digitally colored pencil and charcoal drawings punch up his street market setting with an array of comical skateboard riding, mud drinking, cellphone-using animals (a snooty pink hippo says, "Can you hear me, Mother?" using his). The energetic design and artwork prove more compelling than the story line itself. In the end, a thunderstorm enables the entrepreneurs to advertise--and sell--their hats as "rainproof," suggesting that the key to success is luck as much as it is smarts. Ages 5-8. (June)
Children's Literature
Who does not want to make a dollar or two? Entrepreneurs Frank and Carl think selling hats has great potential. They set up at the city market determined to sell their inventory at ten dollars each, but do not find the hat lovers they expected. Skateboards, remote control robot cell phones, and even cups of mud are selling like hotcakes, but not hats. So what is their secret? Horowitz's sense of humor makes readers laugh as we watch Frank and Carl learn the tricks of the trade, from advertising to having the latest gadgets. This book teaches the basics of economics while keeping it entertaining. While hat prices get dropped lower and lower each day with no sales, we wonder if Frank and Carl will ever uncover what it takes to sell their large supply of hats. The illustrations within this book keep readers entertained and are guaranteed to put smiles on children's faces. Sometimes the missing link to success is just plain luck, or a downpour always works. It will not be a surprise if Horowitz sells this book like hotcakes, too. Reviewer: Lisa Kuehne
More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3—When Frank and Carl set up a hat stand at the City Market, they expect to make a lot of sales. They are disappointed, however, and watch sadly as their neighbors make money hand over fist. Blue Monkey sells skateboards, Mister Pig sells Cup o' Mud, and Big Ox sells remote-control robot cell phones. When Frank and Carl ask their peers for the secret to success, they're repeatedly told that the products are in demand. Frank and Carl lower their prices daily until something happens that finally makes everyone in town want a hat. Horowitz, with his trademark wit, makes readers laugh out loud with the wacky pairing of a fish and a bear as best friends. The colorful cartoonlike illustrations are at once simple and sophisticated, and include amusing thought bubbles and detail. Best for one-on-one or independent reading.—Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ
Kirkus Reviews
Horowitz goes out on a limb with his title here, for visions of Esphyr Slobodkina's folky absurdity, Caps for Sale, will immediately dance into readers' heads. Hats aside, those are big shoes to fill. Horowitz sidesteps the issue. This is no cockamamie encounter with a tree full of monkeys, but rather a business lesson set in a small-town American street market. Frank, a roly-poly bear, and Carl, a fish that looks like it might be related to Peter Lorre, are a couple of unsuccessful hat sellers. Around them at the market, skateboards, cups of hot coffee and cell phones are moving at a brisk pace. Advice is dispensed: Sell something popular, something cutting edge; try advertising. Then circumstance intervenes in the shape of raindrops, and hat sales skyrocket. Horowitz's visual narrative is big-hearted and populated by legions of amusing, curious characters, but the story is limp. Stacks of bowler hats need something special to make them interesting, and neither Frank nor Carl knows how to invest their product with personality. As soon as the sun comes out, you know the hats will once again be as popular as three-day-old fish. (Picture book. 5-8)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781101499610
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
  • Publication date: 12/14/2010
  • Sold by: Penguin Group
  • Format: NOOK Kids
  • Sales rank: 1,103,017
  • Age range: 5 - 8 Years
  • File size: 13 MB
  • Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

Meet the Author

Dave Horowitz
Dave Horowitz

Dave Horowitz wrote and illustrated Beware of Tigers, The Ugly Pumpkin and Soon, Baboon, Soon. He lives in Rosendale, New York.
Dave Horowitz wrote and illustrated Beware of Tigers, The Ugly Pumpkin and Soon, Baboon, Soon. He lives in Rosendale, New York.

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