The Pink Hat
Schwartz and Wade / Penguin Random House 2017
Celebrate the 2017 Women’s March with this charming and empowering picture book about a pink hat and the budding feminist who finds it.
Follow the journey of a pink hat that is swiped by a pesky cat, blown into a tree by a strong wind, and used as a cozy blanket for a new baby, then finally makes its way onto the head of a young girl marching for women’s equality.
Inspired by the 5 million people (many of them children) in 82 countries who participated in the 2017 Women’s March, this is a book that celebrates girls and women and equal rights for all!
This simple and cheerful tale suggests, with not an ounce of preachiness, values of care and comfort and the support women have for each other across generations. The Washington Post
A pink hat and a placard? Adults—and even some children—will know exactly where this picture book is marching. Booklist
About The Pink Hat
To me, the Women’s March was the way forward, as if all these women and children and men had built a path to a future that seemed impossible just a day before. I loved its creativity and imagination and intelligence. It was a witty and inventive spectacle that turned something light and whimsical – a knitted, pink, cat-eared hat – into a powerful feminist symbol. Still, at the time I had no idea it would lead to a picture book.
Inspiration rarely takes a straight path. The initial spark for The Pink Hat was a conversation with my 14 year old son about masculinity and role models. In fact, I first imagined the main character as a boy who finds a pink hat and joins the March. But clearly a girl belonged at the centre of the story. Because as soon as I drew that girl marching in her pink hat, the book started to take shape. She gave the story its power and focus.
There is a reason I’ve dedicated The Pink Hat to 'all the women who march us forward.' That’s because I can’t imagine progress without feminism. At a time when the world seemed to be spinning backwards, the Women’s March gave me hope. So, in a way, this book is also my way of saying thank you. Thank you to everyone who marched on 21st January 2017. And thank you especially to all of those who continue to march and work and campaign for equality and freedom for all women and girls. The future belongs to you!
