We will find your hat! A conundrum

K-Gr 2--This new title for early readers from husband and wife team Candy James (Candy and James Robertson) is as entertaining as their debut comic, which introduced the charming fox duo Archie and Reddie. In this latest, it's Hat Day, and Reddie is anxious to celebrate the festivities with her best pal; however, Archie has lost his favorite hat. No wonder--Archie's house is cluttered with toys, musical instruments, and, of course, pizza. Despite this delay in celebrating the "hattiest day of the year," Reddie is committed to helping her friend solve the puzzle, and the two set about rifling through piles of stuff. As more and more hatlike objects appear, they realize it might take a bit longer than expected to uncover the missing accessory. Full of humor and charm, the repetitive sequencing hones prediction skills and also builds reader involvement. The digital artwork expands the mis-en-scène, adding to the plot while also encouraging the development of readers' visual cues and literacy. VERDICT This latest addition to the series is a definite purchase for beginning reader collections, especially ones that focus on comic and graphic novel formats.--Claire Moore, Manhattan Beach Lib., CA