THE HATMAKERS, by Tamzin Merchant and Paola Escobar, Norton Young Readers, Feb. 2, 2021, Hardcover, $18.95 (ages 9-12)
A family of hatmakers is pushed to the limit as its members race to create a chapeau that could help bring peace to their kingdom in The Hatmakers.
When Cordelia Hatmaker’s beloved father fails to return from an ingredient-hunting expedition, Cordelia is the only member of the family who knows in her heart that he can’t be gone for good. Her grief-stricken aunt and uncle forge ahead to continue the work of their guild and to fulfill a crucial order from the King for a magical Peace Hat. But the enchantments woven into the carefully crafted goods of the Hatmaker, Bootmaker, Cloakmaker, Watchmaker, and Glovemaker guilds begin causing sudden inducements of rage and chaos. As war looms and the Peace objects backfire, Cordelia must find out who is using the Makers’ creations for dark purposes and uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance. —Synopsis provided by Norton Young Readers
The Hatmakers is a magical tale about family, friendship and believing in yourself.
There are two characters central to Tamzin Merchant’s story — Cordelia and the Hatmaker shop itself.
Cordelia is clever and brave. She sees a problem and sets out to fix it — even if she doesn’t always have all the tools. But when she doesn’t have all the answers, she’s not afraid to turn to her friends.
The Hatmaker shop is bold and beautiful, full of life, and sound, and quiet all at once. The shop is not only interactive in that it is where hats are made and purchased. The shop seems to know what is needed and when. It has a vivid voice all of its own.
The Hatmakers is a quick-moving adventure that’s sure to appeal to a large cross-section of readers.
