Miss Fannie's Hat

"Miss Fannie has lots of hats. And each one is her favorite." At age 99, Miss Fannie has much history--and even more hats. She was wearing her green velour hat when she witnessed a terrible flood in 1916. Her wide-brimmed felt hat with the gleaming black feather reminds her of the hawk she caught to keep it from killing her hens and biddies. But her pink straw hat with silk roses truly is her favorite. For 35 years she's worn this hat to church every Easter Sunday, and "it always makes her feel brand-new, like Easter itself." She's not the only one who thinks it's special. When her handsome young preacher asks her to donate a hat to the church auction, Miss Fannie knows what she has to do. She takes a deep breath, thinks of her favorite verse from the Bible, "With God, all things are possible," and wraps up her pink straw hat. But she doesn't realize just how much is possible until the Easter Sunday after the auction.

Jan Kuron, popular author of the bestselling series for adults, The Mitford Years, as well as the children's book, Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, crafts a pleasing story of a charming woman (based on Kuron's own grandmother) who reaps the sweet rewards of her generosity. Toni Goffe's warm, cartoonish illustrations will make readers smile. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter