Frank’s Red Hat

Sean E Avery

Walker Books: 2022

ISBN: 9781760654283

Age: 4+

Reviewed by Viv Young

Frank the penguin is full of ideas but not all of them are good ones, so the other penguins are nervous when Frank knits a red hat, but should they be?

Frank’s Red Hat is a wickedly funny and poignant story about being different. Frank’s knitting ostensibly leads to trouble, but he persists and stays true to his passion with some interesting results. The humour is devilish and therefore perhaps for older preschool and school aged children but will definitely make most kids laugh out loud. The outcome is reassuring—Frank finds his tribe—but also realistic; one’s tribe isn’t always made up of the creatures one expects.

The artwork for Frank’s Red Hat is splendid. The tonal variation and different textures in Sean E Avery’s icy landscapes convey the cold and colourless nature of the world Frank struggles in while at the same time providing lots of interest for readers to explore. These landscapes draw attention to Frank’s experimental knitting and some of its hilarious results. Frank and the creatures who live around him are also wonderfully expressive, with their bulging eyes and flapping arms. Lastly, the unusual array of red hats adorning the end pages is sure to spark interest.

Frank’s Red Hat is a must for any child or adult who struggles to fit in. It is also an important book for everyone else, who may, after reading it, want to rethink their approach to the Franks of this world