The Red Jacket

by Bob Holt, Bob Holt (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for fans of Jory John and Pete Oswald's The Bad Seed and Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back!

Bob loves his red jacket.

The red jacket makes him feel swanky cool.

The red jacket makes other seagulls notice him and even speak to him.

But when a wave washes it away, will Bob lose his cool and his newfound friends, too? 

Bob Holt’s spare text and humorous artwork come together perfectly in this charmingly humorous tale about a seagull who learns a lesson or two about style, "fitting in," and confidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063237605
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/04/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bob Holt has been drawing since childhood and had a long career as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. You probably know him as the co-creator of hoops&yoyo, the pink cat and green bunny, or for his love of french fries. The Red Jacket is Bob the human’s fifth swanky cool book for children—and no, he is not related to Bob the Seagull. Bob and his wife live in Kansas City, Missouri, far away from any beach. They have two daughters, two cats, and one mortgage that won’t leave home. You can visit Bob online at www.bob-holt.myportfolio.com.

Bob Holt has been drawing since childhood and had a long career as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. You probably know him as the co-creator of hoops&yoyo, the pink cat and green bunny, or for his love of french fries. The Red Jacket is Bob the human’s fifth swanky cool book for children—and no, he is not related to Bob the Seagull. Bob and his wife live in Kansas City, Missouri, far away from any beach. They have two daughters, two cats, and one mortgage that won’t leave home. You can visit Bob online at www.bob-holt.myportfolio.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/01/2023

Embodying a Charlie Brown mien, Bob the seagull wanders off solo while the rest of the seagull gang hangs out gabbing. Subsequent vignettes show the bird longing to join a pile-up of crabs and looking on enviously at a cozy readaloud. When an upbeat bird dressed in a flashy red jacket walks by and sees Bob’s slumped posture, it makes an offer: “Would you like a red jacket?” Asked why, the bird replies, “I no longer need it.” Holt (the Bob Holt Celebrates series) tells the story in handwritten speech balloons, spindly cartoon lines, and saturated hues. The bird hands the jacket over (“There are fries in the pockets,” it says), Bob is delighted, and things start to change. Is it the jacket and fries, or Bob’s newly bolstered sense of self? “Let’s grab tea sometime,” he says to a seal; “Sure, Bob,” the seal says back, “that would be great.” When Bob loses the jacket, its return makes him appreciate his wealth of relationships, and he soon welcomes a chance to let it work its magic on someone else. Examining the bond between self-regard and friendship, this wish-fulfillment fantasy gets extra power from a vision of non-attachment to a desirable object. Ages 4–8. (July)

Publishers Weekly

The Red Jacket is just my kind of story. Simple with a sweet message that kids and adults can appreciate.”  — James Dean, creator of Pete the Cat

"The [art] gives the book immediate appeal, and the unexpected details, such as fries in the jacket pockets, are endearing. Fun for reading aloud and fine for discussing." — Booklist (starred review)

“[Examines] the bond between self-regard and friendship.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Irresistible. — Buffalo News

“A delightful story of finding self-confidence and friends—and then paying it forward.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Sometimes a Red Jacket is just what you need." — Antoinette Portis, Award-winning and bestselling author of Not a Box

“Sure to delight young readers. A great choice for readers who are shy, or anyone looking for a humorous, beachside read." — School Library Journal

“This light-hearted picture book offers manifold lessons, well-disguised in a silly story about a dapper seagull. [An] excellent selection for back-to-school time, reminding readers to be confident in their unique qualities and to encourage the same in others.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

2023-04-12
A red jacket leads to big changes.

A small gray bird gives Bob, a sorrowful sea gull, a red jacket with fries in its pockets because it’s no longer needed. Bob is increasingly thrilled by the “swanky stylish” coat, which feels like “wearing a big hug,” and the jacket also inspires him to be outgoing and helpful. Crabs and flounders are astounded to see this side of Bob, and when he returns to the undifferentiated flock, they greet him enthusiastically. Oblivious to a wave about to descend, Bob is spun in the undertow. When he washes up on the beach with the other detritus, the jacket is gone. Bob is on the brink of returning to his depressed state. Then his many pals find and return the jacket. Bob realizes that he has “so many friends, even without my swanky red jacket.” He happily puts it back on, but then, as a mournful turtle trudges by, he offers the jacket, because “I no longer need it,” and the turtle visibly perks up. The speech bubbles are in clear, large letters, the jacket’s red pop brightens the pages along with red and blue crabs and the blue sea, and the animals, drawn in cartoon style, are entirely personable. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightful story of finding self-confidence and friends—and then paying it forward. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews