The Queen's Hat

Whither is Her Majesty bound, one wonders, as she sets out from Buckingham Palace sporting a very smart hat and accompanied by a royal corgi? In a flash though, or rather a ‘swish’ she and the hat part company when the latter is whisked skyward by a sudden gust of wind. Off it soars swiftly pursued by Her Majesty and a whole troop of the Queen’s men. But the wind is so strong the hat is blown over Trafalgar Square, through London Zoo, along the underground, around the London Eye, across Tower Bridge, above Big Ben, higher and higher and then gently down it floats just out of reach of Her Majesty and all her men, not to mention that corgi. Its landing place? Well just about the most perfect destination you can imagine – right on the head of one small infant in a pram who just happens to be in the gardens of Kensington Palace with his parents.

Steve Antony’s choice of red, white and blue plus black as his colour palette is just perfect for this hilarious royal tale. There are chuckles aplenty with every turn of the page and that corgi is a real scene-stealer. The well-chosen words of the spare text allow Antony’s wonderful illustrations to do most of the talking and they certainly do plenty of that. So to will appreciative audiences – both child and adult. Assuredly, if this debut picture book is anything to go by, Steve Antony’s creative talent is one to follow with interest.