CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1991)
Susan and her sister Sarah love to visit their Great Aunt Flossie's house each Sunday afternoon because Aunt Flossie lives in "a house crowded full of stuff and things." The sisters are particularly intrigued with Aunt Flossie's collection of hats--she has saved every hat she has ever owned and each one reminds her of a story from her past. James Ransome's elegant oil paintings move easily from the present to the past as he illustrates Aunt Flossie's stories, as well as the context in which she is telling them. A skillful use of dialogue aptly portrays a strong intergenerational relationship in an African-American family. CCBC categories: Picture Books; History, People And Places. 1991, Clarion Books, 32 pages, $14.95. Ages 4-9.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1991)
Another charming vignette from the author of Chita's Christmas Tree (1989). Here, Sarah and Susan love to visit their great-aunt, who has an exciting story to go with each of the many hats she shows them: she wore the green woolly hat (does it still smell smoky?) the day of the big Baltimore fire, the feathered broadbrim for the parade after the Great War. But most precious to the little girls is Aunt Flossie's "favorite best Sunday hat," the one they remember seeing blown into the water at the park. Ransome illustrates past and present--plus the family's traditional conclusion to a happy day (crab cakes in a well-appointed waterfront restaurant) in deep, vibrant colors, nicely capturing this black family's shared affection and Aunt Flossie's comfortable middle-class home. Just right. 1991, Clarion/Houghton Mifflin, $14.95. © 1991 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Megan McDonald (The Five Owls, May/June 1991 (Vol. 5, No. 5))
Hats tell Aunt Flossie's story. Every Sunday, two eager young listeners, Sarah and Susan, arrive at their great-great-aunt house "full of stuff and things." Tea and cookies, and crab cakes later, hat boxes full of hats, and stories await them. The smoky green hat reminds Aunt Flossie of the big fire in Baltimore, and the dark blue one with a red feather calls to mind the parade celebrating the end of the Great War. "Aunt Flossie says they are her memories," Susan tells us, "and each hat has its story." Best of all is Aunt Flossie's "favorite best Sunday hat," and the children's favorite story to go with it. Sarah and Susan help Aunt Flossie tell the story of the time her hat blew in the water and floated downstream like a boat. They were part of that story, and the whole family went out for crab cakes later. Each time the story is retold, it reminds them of crab cakes. Almost everyone, young and old alike, has some remembrance of a grandmother or grandfather, aunt or uncle, relative or neighbor, who tells stories about the old days. In spare language, the author has affectionately captured her own fond memories of the "real" Aunt Flossie and the events of a family outing to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The story's framework of hats, all kinds and colors, gives Howard's personal recollection universal appeal, and places it along side such storytime favorites as Eat Up, Gemma and Jennie's Hat. The richness of family storytelling is handsomely complemented by the pictures, a series of oil paintings set cleanly against plenty of white space. Ransome's visible strokes of deep, almost edible colors relect the warmth of the story, as do the finely chiseled features of Aunt Flossie and the children. Piles of plain and patterned hatboxes invite a peek at various hats, but the illustrator missed an opportunity to show the hats themselves in an array of colorful profusion. From the opening scene of Baltimore rowhouses at sunrise to the closing patterned-wallpaper cover, this lulling reminiscence joins a growing legacy of fine intergenerational stories. 1991, Lothrop, $13.95. Ages 3 to 6.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, 1991)
On their weekly Sunday afternoon visit, two girls have a tea party with their Aunt Flossie and try on her many hats, each of which comes with a story. Most of the stories involve the history of African-American Baltimore. Ransome's rich, glowing oil paintings present occasional problems of continuity but capture Aunt Flossie's warm relationship with her great-great-nieces. Category: Fiction. 1991, Clarion, 32pp.. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.