(bright music) - "Starting with Sounds"!

(bright music continues) - Hey everybody, my name is Scott Hamilton.

And a very, very, very long time ago, inexplicably, I won an Olympic gold medal in men's figure skating.

I'm still trying to figure that one out.

(Scott laughing) Anyway, I'm here to read a book for you.

But first, I wanna tell you how important that reading is.

And because, it was amazing that my parents were both school teachers, and so, they taught me how to read at a very early age.

In fact, when I started kindergarten, I could read fluently, which was unusual back then.

I think it's pretty normal now, but back then, it was very unusual.

So all my friends would go, "How are you doing that?"

And it was because my parents just taught me the sounds for every letter.

And how to put those sounds together to make words.

And then I could read.

I loved comic books; oh, I loved comic books.

And I loved all kinds of books.

But I'm here today, to read to you a wonderful book, called "Fritzy Finds a Hat".

And it was written, you can see by me, and Mary Coffeen.

And then, let's see if we can figure this one out, Ba-er-ad, Brad, Pa-eh-s-le.

Brad Paisley!

So Brad Paisley, you probably know his music, he did all the photo, I mean, all the hat illustrations.

And it was a really fun project to work on with him.

Because he's a good man, and he's extremely talented, as we all know.

So anyway, this book is written as a gentle tale to help talk with children about cancer.

Cancer seems like a pretty scary word.

But I'm here to tell you that it's been about 24 years since I had cancer.

Obviously, I'm still here.

So...

In fact I'm really kind of grateful I had cancer.

It's a longer story, because my life wouldn't look like it does right now, without it.

But here we go, are you ready?

All right, so, "It was a Tuesday and Fritzy Goldwing started his morning "with a very important assignment.

"He had to find the perfect hat for his mom.

"'It has the best.

"'The bestest best,' Fritzy announced, "tying up his skates to begin the search."

It seems like an odd thing to put on skates when you begin your search.

But we'll get to more of that in a second.

All right?

(clearing throat) "'Something that makes her smile, "'like when I finish my broccoli.'"

I love broccoli.

"'Or maybe it makes her laugh.

"'Laugh so hard, she gets the hiccups.'"

She looks just like my mom.

And every time she started to laugh really hard, she got the hiccups.

"Fritzy needed the right hat fast!

"Because this was going to be his new job on Tuesdays."

That means every Tuesday, right?

"Picking out the perfect hat, "for his mom's trip to the hospital.

"Fritzy's mom had cancer.

"That was a scary word.

"And he knew it meant Mommy was sick.

"But she sat him down, and with a great, big hug, "she shared what the doctor had told her."

I loved when my mom hugged me.

She was a great hugger.

"It wasn't something he could catch.

"And it wasn't something he had caused.

"But she would have to take some very strong medicine "to help her body get better.

"Sometimes she wouldn't feel so good.

"But there was one big surprise.

"The medication she was on, "the medicine might make her hair fall out."

Isn't that crazy?

Why would the medicine make her hair fall out?

That seems crazy to me.

But it did.

And she used to wear these beautiful wigs.

Anyway, but I have to find her, I mean, Fritzy has to help her find the perfect hat.

"Mommy says hair grows back."

Which it does.

"Fritzy explained to his cat Percy.

"But having a few new hats, "will make the time just go a little bit faster.

"So Fritzy, who never did anything slow, "used his skates to help him go faster.

"Fritzy loved to skate more than anything.

"More than peanut butter and jelly, maybe.

"And skating fast, helped him think even quicker.

"'What would Mommy like today?'

"He wondered, practicing his figure eights, "around Windpole, the tiny town where he was born."

See you can see the figure eights.

When you skate, you leave a little tracing behind, a little track.

And when you do figure eights, you have to find the track.

And trace it, and make it as close as you can.

It's really fun.

"First he thought about a hat with pillows.

"'One on each side, "'so Mommy could rest when she gets tired,' "Fritzy explained, remembering the medicine "would make her sleepy.

"Or maybe a hat with a phone.

"Fritzy knew his mom loved to keep in touch, "even if she would be home "before it was time to tuck him in.

"'Or maybe, or wait, she might like a furry hat "'to keep her warm,' Fritzy said.

"Noting that Percy would be pur-rrr-fect, "because sometimes the hospital can be very cold."

Look at that.

Percy sits right on top of the hat, making the fur hat warm.

That's pretty clever.

Percy's a smart cat.

"'I could find a hat with hugs and kisses, "'so she knows I'm always there, "'even if I can't come along.'"

What kind of hat that is?

That's a cowboy hat.

Braid Paisley wears cowboy hats.

"'But she might like a soup and crackers hat, "'just in case her tummy gets rumbly.

"'Her doctor said she might not eat much.

"'Or here's my favorite,' said Fritzy.

"'A hat filled with jokes.

"'Knock-knock.

"'That would give her the hiccups.

"'These are all pretty good ideas,' Fritzy said to himself.

"'But not the perfect idea.

"Fritzy thought and thought, and skated and skated.

"And even slowed down a bit to say a little prayer.

"'Cause that always made him feel better.

"And maybe it would help his mom feel better, too."

I love praying.

Praying is the most fun thing you can do.

It's the best of the best.

"Suddenly Fritzy jumped for joy!

"He had an idea.

And idea that made him flip.

"An upside-down flip."

Look at that!

His head is here, and the ice is here.

He must be upside-down.

That's what happens when you do a flip.

You go upside down.

Just hope to land on your feet.

"Fritzy found the perfect hat.

"The best hat of all.

"One that he made all by himself."

Can you see yourself making a hat like that?

I could.

"Mommy said it was the best!

"'The very bestest best,' Fritzy said, beaming with pride.

"And not because it was funny, or furry, "or filled with her favorite jokes.

"'It reminded her of Fritzy,' his mom said.

"And that was the best gift of all."

See, that's why I love books.

Books can entertain us.

Books can educate us.

Books can ignite our imagination.

Books can help us think better, process things better.

Books are just miraculous things that we can hold.

And that we can study, and enjoy.

And we can see our projects as we get further on back in the book, to find out what happens at end.

Phew!

Reading is awesome.

And I know you think that way, too.

So this is Scott, and I wish you great reading.