The Many Hats of Louie the Rat

by Sakshi Mangal

Overview

An inventive rat saves the day with perseverance, creativity, kindness, and some helpful hats

Louie the rat loves turning not-so-useful things into ingenious inventions, but none of the other rats in town seem to appreciate his odd, often ineffective gadgets. One day, Louie notices his fellow rats wearing some not-so-useful hats: huge hats that don’t fit through doorways, heavy hats that are difficult to walk in, and ridiculous hats that make it impossible to see. Inspired, Louie decides to make some useful hats for the town. From his never-ending supply of discarded things, he makes wool hats for warmth, wide-brimmed hats for shade, and hard hats for safety.

The other rats don’t seem to care about his hats, until a few acts of kindness from Louie grab their attention. And when a crisis strikes, Louie uses his talents to craft a hat useful enough to save the entire town!

This delightful tale of big ideas and generous acts highlights the importance of tenacity and a growth mindset. Readers and young makers will draw confidence from Louie’s resourcefulness and enjoy a visual feast of inventions to point out and ponder on each page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771474955
Publisher:	OWLKIDS BOOKS
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

SAKSHI MANGAL grew up in India and then moved to England to complete her MA in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Since then, she has been illustrating and developing picture books from her home studio in Vancouver, British Columbia where she spends most of her day doodling and drinking coffee.

Editorial Reviews

"Themes of determination, resourcefulness, imagination, and kindness, will resonate with children who like to design, invent, and build their own creations. Plus, the theme of perseverance is sure to motivate readers to keep on inventing—and re-inventing!"

Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

"The illustrations are so clever, so many fun things to look at on every page. The huge hats were hilarious, and sweet Louie ... such a darling story. A great example of growth mindset, repurposing, conservation, and being resourceful."

Kiss the Book

"This aspirational tale of a rat named Louie shows us once again that the struggle to be creative has its ups and downs."

Canadian Review of Materials

2022-09-14
Aww rats, inventing is tough!

Louie wants to create “useful things from not-so-useful things,” but the other rats in his village don’t appreciate his craft. In fairness, Louie’s inventions aren’t particularly useful (or safe). Luck smiles upon the inventor one day, though, when he notices a new trend: fancy hats that are so large they cover their wearers’ eyes. Inspired, Louie starts manufacturing his own, more practical hats: “wool hats for warmth, wide-brimmed hats for shade, hard hats for safety, and handy hats for bad hair days.” The rats, well aware of Louie’s track record and enamored with their stylish yet impractical hats, take no notice of his new, useful creations. Thankfully, Louie gives away a few hats to needy individuals, the rats take notice, and Louie begins recycling the old hats into ones that serve a purpose. The story’s message is greatly diluted when one of these large hats, dubbed non-useful, suddenly becomes a lifesaving boat during a flood. The illustrations, which appear hand-drawn, are amusing, and Louie is adorable, but it’s not enough to save the meandering plot. Rodent fans and aspiring inventors may be drawn to the story, but there’s not a lot to keep them invested. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An ultimately muddled message accompanied by attractive artwork. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews