School Library Journal
“The illustrations carry the story in this nearly wordless tale… The brightly colored, folk-art paintings keep the action moving. Luthardt gives the hats and the cast of diverse characters who wear them distinct personalities. The soft edges of the illustrations create a warm mood even when the bully does not. The pictures clearly show the children's emotions, including the boy's joy when he finds his special hat and the doubt and hurt feelings caused by the unpleasant encounter… the book's overall message that compassion can triumph over meanness is a worthy one.”

Chicago Tribune
“ This almost wordless work by Chicago-area artist and children’s book author Kevin Luthardt tells a simple but effective story, with a cast of only four children in a park one day. …the simple pictures suggest a possibility we not often enough suggest to children.”