Stormy's Hat

How happy am I to find a picture book that melds perfectly with a curriculum piece?! Woot, indeed.

Stormy is a hardworking railroad man. But he has one problem. He cannot find a hat to suit his needs. The derby that he has been wearing, goes flying off his head every time that he leans out the window! So Stormy decides to ask his friends for some suggestions. After all, there are hats for policemen, sailors and coat miners...why not for railroad men?

First on the list comes the suggestion from cowboy Tex. A cowboy hat is what Stormy needs! The bonnet strings will keep it from flying off. But Stetson's are tall, wide and white. These all cause problems for poor Stormy.

Next comes the suggestion from Nate the pressman. He thinks a folded newspaper hat is exactly what Stormy needs. But, a paper hat and sparks? You can imagine the results.

On to fireman Mike's suggestion of his fire hat. This seems like the perfect solution. Too heavy to blow off, easy to clean, fireproof! All of these attributes equal hot and heavy, which ends up with Stormy with a headache.

Between all of the suggestions, Stormy's wife Ida has been trying without success to get a word in edgewise. She is, after all, a seamstress who has some great ideas about how to get Stormy the hat he needs. Will Stormy finally listen.

This true story of the invention of the railroad worker hat by Stormy and Ida Kromer. With reference to American tall tales, and a little feminism thrown for good measure, Stormy's Hat is a delightful read aloud with a little something for everyone!