But the authors of these books — "The Obstinate Pen," "Penny and Her Song," "Magritte's Marvelous Hat" and "I'll Save You Bobo!" — have wisely fine-tuned their narratives, counseling children in the art of harnessing creativity and aiming it with purpose.
In "Magritte's Marvelous Hat," D. B. Johnson, best known for his series of children's books inspired by the life of Henry David Thoreau, introduces the concept of Surrealism to young readers by telling a fantastical story about the Belgian artist René Magritte.
In addition to designing his own marvelous hats, he has provided headgear to a bunch of designers: Marc Jacobs, Rei Kawakubo, L'Wren Scott.
Priscilla has dozens of marvelous hats, including a cross hat, a menorah hat and an umbrella hat.
Mackintosh-Smith seems incapable of writing a dull sentence, and in him the scholar, the linguist and the storyteller swap hats with marvelous speed.
"Mackintosh-Smith seems incapable of writing a dull sentence, and in him the scholar, the linguist and the storyteller swap hats with marvelous speed," Jason Goodwin said here in 2000.
So they turned to younger, less famous artists by the names of Matisse and Picasso, picking up Matisse's marvelous Fauvist "Woman With a Hat" and the blue-period Picasso Ladyy With a Fan".
It was glorious, and old photos showed it looking marvelous with ladies in fabulous hats and costumes, the men in homburgs, besuited and spatted.
"I Want My Hat Back" is a marvelous book in the true dictionary sense of "marvel": it is a wonderful and astonishing thing, the kind of book that makes child laugh and adult chuckle, and both smile in appreciation.
The idea works well enough with other tap dancers: Rod Ferrone, Cagneyesque in his marvelous slink with spats and a porkpie hat, and Max Pollak, who fuses his percussive tap with energetic Cuban rhythms and body-slapping.
He stayed put, of course, and is enjoying a marvelous season, with 12 goals — including an F.A. Cup hat trick on Saturday.
