Mr Norton’s New Hat
Huw Lewis Jones and Corey Egbert
Little Tiger
Horace Norton is a kind character so when he discovers one Monday morning that a mouse has taken up residence in his hat, he leaves it there and cycles off to work. On Tuesday he notices some birds have made a nest in his bicycle basket but he pedals off obligingly with both lots of tenants.. Come Wednesday there’s a squirrel asleep in one of his shoes. What does he do? The same as on the previous two days. Subsequently he decides to leave undisturbed the stoats in his satchel, and the cats curled up in his coat. By the weekend it’s evident that Horace needs some time to relax. It’s not to be, for the animals are clearly taking advantage of his good nature. Having realised a wash is out of the question, he decides to return to his bed but …
Mr Norton’s increasing frustration with his ever growing menagerie builds to a response which surprises the man himself: “Enough is Enough!’ he shouts causing the animals to scamper away. Is this the response he longed for though? Not so, for he realises how very lonely an empty silence in one’s home can be.
When the next Monday comes around, Horace finds a surprise parcel at his front door; it’s a gift from the animals and one that results in a welcome solution to his solitude.
Young listeners will love Huw Lewis Jones’ zany cumulative tale with its wealth of alliteration, as well as lots of repetition to join in with. They’ll love too Corey Egbert’s scenes of the mischief-making animals and the growing mayhem they cause for their host. A smashing amalgam of words and pictures; it’s sure to be a story time winner.
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