A Hatful of Dreams - by Bob Graham (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Mile End Road once sparkled in sunshine and children's laughter, until hard times came and all the people left, taking with them the sun, moon, and stars. But one family stayed on this broken-down street: the Andersons, in their house with a warm little glow, where kids bounce happily on Dad's back, and Grandad's fingers squeak on guitar strings as he jokes about all the secrets and dreams he keeps under his hat. "Grandad, I've seen you without your hat," insists Millie, "and nothing was there except your hair." But what will the children see the next time he doffs his hat? As always with Bob Graham, the tenderness is in the details: strewn-about stuffies, tumbling children, a blue-jeaned grandad with one leg thrown over his chair arm. It's a story where even a derelict neighborhood can spark back to life, and where the love of a playfully bantering grandad can conjure a whole universe of light."--

Book Synopsis

Bob Graham brings his ineffable touch to this tale of a joyful connection between a grandad and grandkids--and how the love in one family's home is enough to change a fragile world.

The Mile End Road once sparkled in sunshine and children's laughter, until hard times came and all the people left, taking with them the sun, moon, and stars. But one family stayed on this broken-down street: the Andersons, in their house with a warm little glow, where kids bounce happily on Dad's back, and Grandad's fingers squeak on guitar strings as he jokes about all the secrets and dreams he keeps under his hat. "Grandad, I've seen you without your hat," insists Millie, "and nothing was there except your hair." But what will the children see the next time he doffs his hat? As always with Bob Graham, the tenderness is in the details: strewn-about stuffies, tumbling children, a blue-jeaned grandad with one leg thrown over his chair arm. It's a story where even a derelict neighborhood can spark back to life, and where the love of a playfully bantering grandad can conjure a whole universe of light.

Review Quotes

Graham's fantastic tale, charmingly illustrated in his unique style, is a classy and classic feel-good story filled with optimism and lots of love.
--Booklist (starred review)

The author/illustrator's signature spare watercolors bring to life the gloom of the abandoned street, the warmth of the home, and the magic that leaks from Grandad's hat. . . . True magic lies at the heart of this marvelous tale.
--Kirkus Reviews

The work conveys how one person's creative spirit can breathe life into forgotten places.
--Publishers Weekly

[A] tender picture book. . . .Grandad's lyrical tunes and charming stories naturally build up the narrative. . . .
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Once again Graham, with his genial portrayal of messy family life and his cast of button-nosed characters, celebrates the exuberant potential of community in all its incarnations.
--The Horn Book

About the Author

Bob Graham is a Kate Greenaway Medal-winning storyteller who has written and illustrated many acclaimed children's picture books, including "Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate; How to Heal a Broken Wing; April and Esme, Tooth Fairies; and The Concrete Garden. Bob Graham lives in Australia.