Review by Deborah K Frontiera
The Stormy Kromer Kitten by Erin Byrnes Bailey is a historical fiction picture book tells how the Stormy Kromer caps might have come to be. Set in 1903, George and Ida Kromer came up with an idea for a warm hat that would not blow off as George, a train engineer, made his rounds of the tracks and towns along them. He often lost his cap, resulting in a cold head in the winter. The third character, a stray kitten, helps along the way.
George finds the kitten in the caboose of his train on one trip and takes it home. The kitten thrives with Ida and picks up the name Sidekick. On a blustery day when George comes home hatless, again, Ida gets the idea of a new type of cap that will be warm and stay on one’s head. To avoid wasting time and precious wool fabric, Ida creates a miniature version of the cap for the kitten. When it stays on the kitten, she makes one in the correct size for her husband.
Soon, many people admire George’s cap and ask Ida to make one for them. BINGO, a home business is born that catches on in the area and beyond, even to this day.
Illustrations are simple depictions of the lives of ordinary people early in the 20th century and the author seems to have done her homework with historical accuracy. And, of course, the kitten becomes the star in many drawings.
The book could easily be used in classrooms, as well as at home, to help younger children see and hear a bit of northern Midwest history. One thing I would have liked to see, though, is a larger picture of the winter hat. We see it in miniature on the cat and on George on the front cover, but it’s hard to see the details against the dark background behind George and the kitten. The perfect place would have been on the back cover next to the cat.
That said, The Stormy Kromer Kitten is a delightful book.
The Stormy Kromer Kitten By Erin Byrnes Bailey
ISBN 979-8-9990912-0-8, Copper Country Books, Wausau WI 2025, PB $14.99
