You Must Bring a Hat

Kate Hindley is the much-loved illustrator of both picture books (including the award-winning You Must Bring a Hat, written by Simon Philip) and fiction (The Royal Rabbits of London, written by Santa Montefiore & Simon Sebag Montefiore), as well as the author-illustrator of new board book series, Treacle Street. She lives in Bristol. Simon was born in Chichester in 1988 and has lived there ever since, although he occasionally leaves to buy milk. After gaining a 1st class degree in History at Exeter University, he immediately put his skills to good use working as a barman at a local pub. He soon grew tired of the owner calling him Andy, and so, naturally, decided to become a primary school teacher. Teaching rekindled his love of children's literature, particularly picture books, so much so that he had a go at writing his own. Deciding he was better at writing stories for children than he would ever be at teaching them, he made a swift exit from education to live the cliché of the writer who works in a bar. He hopes that one day he'll be able to give up writing stories and become a barman full-time.

This glorious cumulative story sees the requirements for entry growing ever more stringent - and the list of party-goers ever longer. It builds to a superb and wholly unexpected ending which will delight young readers. Gloriously illustrated, with an immense amount of careful detail which mustn't be missed. Wonderful!