London Hat Hunting Mission: Book Review
What started as a set of multicultural dolls for young children to play with has turned into a multicultural movement. London Hat Hunting Mission is a brand new picture book from One Dear World. This book takes on an epic mission around the incredibly diverse neighborhoods in London. Take a marvelous ride along with four multicultural doll characters through one of the most diverse cities in the world. This new book is an essential tool for raising readers as well as raising globally minded kids.
One Dear World started with a beautiful set of multicultural dolls designed for girls AND boys to enjoy. They have been featured in Huffington Post, Juno Magazine, as well as The Toy Insider. Now author Winnie Mak Tselikas has expertly designed a book where her dolls are the main characters. Her four characters: Jun from Hong Kong, China, Hope from Accra, Ghana, Lea from Oslo, Norway, and Parth, from Mumbai, India. They encourage learning about geography as well as different cultures through traditional hats, food, language.
Scroll to the end to win a copy of London Hat Hunting Mission.
London Hat Hunting Mission: Book Review
These four dolls start their adventure in the perfect setting; a library. They are there to find the magic remedy for their dear friend Mr. Globe who has fallen ill. Just like in real life, the dolls take the words literally and Mr. Globe needs a “head aid” which is a kind of hat. Inspired by the books they read about different cultural hats that people wear, they set off in search for the “magic hat” that will cure Mr. Globe.
This realistic story takes you around all the iconic places in London, as well as a few off the beaten tourist track. You travel up the London Eye and then hear the magical chimes of Big Ben. You will even ride a double-decker bus and search the crowds watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace looking for the perfect hat.
A Look Inside London’s Multicultural Neighborhoods
The book takes the tour of London to the next level by traveling to different neighborhood boroughs. They sip espresso while collecting a beret in South Kensington, then find a fez while enjoying delectable baklava. A Jamaican drummer even hands the four friends his rasta tam on Portobello Road.
Children will be traveling to the sites along with these four fantastic friends Sherlock Holmes Museum, Brick Lane, St. Pauls Cathedral, and even to China town. All the while searching for the perfect hat to nurse their dear friend Mr. Globe back to perfect health. Even when they run into trouble in the rain, they do not let any obstacle stop them from their colorful adventure.
Discover the amazing rainbow of diversity around London's iconic neighborhoods. #kidlit Share on X
Combining Culture with Wanderlust
The natural pacing of this picture book is perfect for young children. The story will engage children with learning about different cultural hats, food and drink, and even music and art. The London Hat Hunting Mission is an opportunity for children to explore the geography of one of the greatest cities in the world.
Most importantly, this book portrays the rich cultural diversity. The four friends represent the city well and expose children to different languages, architecture, and cultural history. The story is a beautiful way to start teaching not only literacy skills but prioritize diverse friendships right from birth.
Experience the world of London through this amazing new #multicultural children's book! Share on X
For children, their natural curiosity as you read will spark many important conversations about race, religion, as well as travel. The multicultural theme of this book highlights values such as empathy, compassion, and living in harmony.
Recommended age for this book is 2-6. Since the stuffed dolls are the main characters, the book will appeal to young children. Due to the high vocabulary used in the book, it is also appropriate for older children in early primary or elementary school. However, having the four multicultural dolls as props is an effective strategy for reading the book aloud with toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Sequels to London Hat Hunting Mission
This is the first book of many in the series. Soon there will be more dolls from other parts of the world discovering new cities. Through each of these books, children will have a window into seeing themselves represented. Furthermore, these important books will make ALL children feel included as they see the dolls interacting with each other to truly belong together in one dear world.
A story for children to learn to appreciate themselves and respect others. #onedearworld Share on X
Where to Buy London Hat Hunting Mission
The book is being sold on Amazon US as well as Amazon UK and can be shipped internationally. Right now, One Dear World is offering a free download of the London Hat Hunting Mission ebook. This offer expires December 31st, 2017. You can also subscribe to One Dear World and get 10% off your purchase of the book and the accompanying dolls.
Lastly, by subscribing to One Dear World, you will be one of the first to know when the next in the book series is released. You won’t want to miss Hope, Jun, Lea, and Parth traveling to Paris, Hong Kong, and more!
Coming soon: Coloring pages as well as lesson plans. These helpful tools will help parents as well as teachers to integrate arts and crafts to go along with the story. Most importantly, you can also use the lesson plans to facilitate discussions about language and culture.
For another book similar to London Hat Hunting Mission, check out my author interview for the new board book Hats of Faith.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
More About the Author: Winnie Mak Tselikas
Winnie Mak Tselikas lives in London with her husband and 3-year-old son. She is a former Chinese (Mandarin) teacher and now runs One Dear World full time. After seeing a lack of diversity in the dolls they were looking to buy their son that reflected not only their multicultural family, but the world, the idea for One Dear World was born.
She created the collection of multicultural dolls and the London Hat Hunting Mission picture book with two goals in mind. Firstly, this was to encourage children from all over the world to be engaging WITH each other. Secondly, Winnie’s goal was to have diversity represented in toys/books and allow parents to introduce multiculturalism and global citizenship to children from an early age.
Connect with Winnie: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter| Goodreads
Multicultural Education Resources
If you are interested in other multiracial and multicultural award-winning books for children, please check out the Multiracial Children’s Literature Guide and The Anatomy of a Diverse Bookshelf. These resources take out the guesswork when selecting high-quality and diverse books.
Join us in giving the children in your lives the most colorful bookshelves possible. This way we can simultaneously raise global citizens as we raise readers. We also invite you to join our diverse children’s literature discussion. Our group is full of talented educators, authors, and parents who share a wealth of expertise on a daily basis.
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12/07/2017 @ 11:20 am
This book looks so cute! I want to visit London one day so this is just lovely. ♡ Diversity and representation are so important for kids. When my daughter actually sees characters that look like her or her brother she gets so excited. Which in turn makes me excited and happy!
12/07/2017 @ 11:22 am
Your beautiful Multiracial family would fit right in!! Thanks so much for your support and entering the book giveaway Nicholette!