Murphy and the Magical Hat

Murphy and the Magical Hat

By: Kate David
Illustrated by: Helen Turner
Published by: Outskirts Press
Publication Date: January 2012
ISBN: 978-1432785826
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: November 3, 2013

Gosh darn it! It’s raining outside and Murphy is bored. So, so bored. She just woke up from her nap and was all excited about playing outside. Now what will Murphy do? In this adorable story about playtime, a young girl learns how to use her imagination. And what fun it can be to let your imagination carry you to all sorts of exciting places!

Disappointed at the weather conditions, Murphy sadly makes her way to her mother’s room. Thankfully, Moms always seem to know what to do and Murphy’s mother is no exception. She leads her daughter to a trunk at the end of the bed and reaches in...what will she pull out? Murphy watches excitedly...and is overjoyed to see a magical hat.

Murphy's mother shows her daughter the hat and explains, “Your Nana gave me this magical hat for days just like today. All I had to do was put it on and I could go anywhere I imagined!” Murphy eagerly takes the hat and climbs onto her mother’s bed. With a smile on her face, she thinks about where she wants to go, closes her eyes and then...opens them to discover...I’m not going to give away the story, but I will say that the magical hat takes Murphy to a wonderful place full of warmth, sunshine, and the neatest carousel with brightly painted horses that you’ve ever seen.

Murphy and the Magical Hat is the ideal story for rainy days, or any day for that matter. The story is original, very upbeat, the text flows nicely (there’s even a short poem about the horses on the carousel), and the illustrations mesh perfectly with this tale written for the very young. No doubt your child will want to read this book over and over, and then see where her imagination will take her.

Quill says: A wonderful story that encourages children to use their imaginations. As the text on the back cover asks, “Where will your imagination take you?” Read this book and discover the possibilities.