Friday book review – The Queen’s Hat

Published by Emma Lee-Potter in on Friday 2nd May 2014

The Queen's Hat Steve AntonyIf you’re looking for a gorgeous new picture book for a small child look no further.

The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony has everything you want in a book – enchanting illustrations and a story that’s full of fun.

This is Steve Antony’s first book and there’s no doubt that he’s an author and illustrator to watch.

The star of the story is the Queen, who’re we told, is on her way to visit “someone very special” when a gust of wind whisks her hat off her head and through the streets of London. As she races to catch it, with corgis and bearskinned guards in hot pursuit, she dashes past some of the capital’s most iconic attractions – from Trafalgar Square and Tower Bridge to Big Ben and the London Eye.

The author got the idea back in 2011, after spotting a newspaper picture of the Queen visiting Prince William’s RAF base in Anglesey. It was a blustery day and she had to hold on to her hat to stop it flying away. “And immediately a funny story unravelled in my mind about the Queen chasing her windswept hat all around London,” he says.

The result is a delight – a book that grown ups (royals included) and children alike will enjoy.

The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony (Hodder Children’s Books, £11.99)


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