When Everybody Wore a Hat

by William Steig

Book Overview

This is the story of when I was a boy, almost 100 years ago, when fire engines were pulled by horses, boys did not play with girls, kids went to libraries for books, there was no TV, you could see a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060097000
• ISBN13: 9780060097004
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Harpercoll
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

More Than A Children's Book

This is a delightful children's book about the boyhood of its author, 95 year old William Steig. The book is both personal and historical as Steig recounts the time in America "when everybody wore a hat." Steig, an artist whose drawings have appeared regularly in "The New Yorker" magazine since 1930, is both the books's illustrator and writer. Grandparents looking for a book that they can read to their grandchildren that will inspire good additional conversation should buy this book.

A Little Slice of History.....

"In 1916, when I was eight years old, there were almost no electric lights, cars or telephones-and definitely no TV. Even fire engines were pulled by horses. Kids went to LIBRARIES for books. There were lots of immigrants..." William Steig takes the reader back to the simpler times of his childhood when mother bought her meat at the butchers, boys didn't play with girls, a nickel could buy you a hot dog, a pound of fruit, or a day at the movies, you didn't go to the doctor's office, the doctor came to your house, everyone wanted to have his picture taken on a horse, and everybody wore a hat. "There was no such thing as a hatless human being." Written as if by an eight year old, Mr Steig's remembrances are sometimes poignant and always heartwarming and complemented by his marvelous, expressive childlike illustrations. Adults will revel in all the nostagia, and kids will be intrigued by how different life was at the beginning of the last century. When Everybody Wore A Hat is a charming slice of history, best read together and shared, that will whet the appetite, open interesting discussions, and send youngsters out looking for more.

A Beautiful Story Of The Past

When Everybody Wore A Hat, written and illustrated by William Steig, is an affectionate and touching tribute to the author's childhood in the Bronx. William Steig is in his nineties. He begins his reflections by writing, "This is the story of when I was a boy, almost 100 years ago, when fire engines were pulled by horses, boys did not play with girls, kids went to libraries for books, there was no TV, you could see a movie for a nickel, and everybody wore a hat." It dawned on me after reading this story that the children of today wouldn't have the slightest inkling of the world William Steig grew up in. Having had a 104 year old great grand father to tell me stories of what the world was once like I simply took the idea for granted. When Everybody Wore A Hat is a grand way to introduce children to what the world once was like. The illustrations are childlike and convey a sense of longing and nostalgia. William Steig has created out of his own memories a profoundly moving and beautiful tribute to his childhood and the world of once was.Preston McClear, malibubooks.com

A Beautiful Story Of The Past

When Everybody Wore A Hat, written and illustrated by William Steig, is an affectionate and touching tribute to the author's childhood in the Bronx. William Steig is in his nineties. He begins his reflections by writing, "This is the story of when I was a boy, almost 100 years ago, when fire engines were pulled by horses, boys did not play with girls, kids went to libraries for books, there was no TV, you could see a movie for a nickel, and everybody wore a hat." It dawned on me after reading this story that the children of today wouldn't have the slightest inkling of the world William Steig grew up in. Having had a 104 year old great grand father to tell me stories of what the world was once like I simply took the idea for granted. When Everybody Wore A Hat is a grand way to introduce children to what the world once was like. The illustrations are childlike and convey a sense of longing and nostalgia. William Steig has created out of his own memories a profoundly moving and beautiful tribute to his childhood and the world of once was.Preston McClear,

sweet & funny Steig

The 95-year-old master behind Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and Pete's a Pizza has created a quirky and charming history lesson using tidbits from his boyhood in the Bronx. Kids will be fascinated to learn that, when the author was a boy, horses were the main mode of transportation, there was no television, and, "A nickel was money." Steig has enlisted very talented artists to illustrate his last several books, but it's wonderful to see him back at the drawing board here. The pictures, softer and more fluid than in the past, capture the deep affection Steig has for his own childhood memories and for children in general.