The illustrations in this book are stenciled and colored in with lesser-used tints of the primary colors, giving them a unique quality. The pictures themselves are slightly abstract, encouraging readers to take a moment and take them in; The grass is painted right on the sides of houses, some of the trees look like they have polka dots, and the water has the same texture that was used for the sky in an earlier picture. The sentences are broken up into just a few words per line, so it doesn't overwhelm readers-in-training while they follow along and practice sounding out some words. Repetition of some words, such as the colors of the caps, also helps new readers with word recognition.
You can help your child begin learning to read by pointing out the pictures and asking something like "What color is that cap?" When they say, "red," you can point to the word red and reply, "Yes! It is red. This is what the word 'red' looks like. R-E-D." Adult readers can also add some fun to the reading by using a fun voice for the cap peddler yelling, "Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" or when the monkeys say, "Tsz, tsz, tsz." Perhaps you little one will even want to act out the actions as the peddler shakes his fists and stamps his feet in frustration at the monkeys. Encourage your child to draw caps, monkeys, and country scenes from the book on their own, coloring it in, and then explaining it to you.
I was delighted to see that my three year-old friend, Sam, adores this book, as I remember reading it with my mom when I was Sam's age. The book inspired Sam to see if he could carry something atop his head in perfect balance, like the peddler. However, I had to catch it numerous times as he was walking around the living room with a pillow balanced on is head. One time, he had the great idea to place a few of his dad's baseball caps on top of one another and, since they fit inside each another, Sam was able to 'balance' them all atop his head. Really, it just looked like a taller baseball cap, but Sam was quite proud of himself.
--Audra
