Katie Reviews A Hat Full of Sea by Maudie Smith

I hope most of us haven't experienced what its like to be stuck in a hospital bed but I’m sure most of us have experienced what its like to be stuck inside on a gorgeous day and all you want to do is enjoy the sounds of nature, feel the sun on our faces and breathe the fresh air. This book explores these feelings and experiences wonderfully both for adults but also for children.

This book highlights the innocence, imagination and kindness of children and their view of the world. A Hat Full of Sea starts with Cora visiting her Grandpa Jim in hospital and realising that all he can see of the outside world is a view of the blue sky through a small window, which she decides just isn’t good enough. So she decided to bring the outside world to him: she catches the sea’s spray in her hat, she takes him the countryside, the fun of the fair and even the moon. But disaster strikes when she tries to take him on a journey; she drops her hat, losing it in the wind caused by a train journey. When Cora returns to the hospital to tell Grandpa Jim, she cant find him. Luckily, he has recovered enough that he isn’t in the hospital bed and he is able to join her outside to experience nature. He explains to her that all is not lost with the hat and that what has made him happy and enjoy the outside is her and her kindness.

This book is filled with wonderful descriptions of nature and the world that we simply take for granted. Some of the descriptions I enjoyed most are the descriptions that described what you could sense in these environments, which really brings the environment to life. For example, when describing the sea, Smith talks about “the softness of the sand and the seagull cries all wrapped up in the wind”. This really made me feel like I was beside the sea with the wind in my hair and the sound of the waves breaking on the beach.

This wonderfully kind book is combined with beautiful illustrations by Jen Khatun which emphasises the descriptions of nature and brings to life the movement of the rolling hills of the countryside, the breaking of waves and the rushing of wind around a train.

To loose yourself and you little ones in the love of nature and the kindness of each other, purchase a copy of this book here.