STORY TIME WITH THE MADD HATTA HITS HOUSTON LIBRARIES
- Madd Hatta publishes children's book 'Kase's Little Adventures' to document his son's childhood and inspire other families.
- Hatta partners with Houston Public Libraries to host interactive storytime sessions, connecting with diverse communities through reading and discussion.
- Madd Hatta Cares Foundation offers 'I Am The Dream' scholarship, supporting young people at every stage of their journey.
For more than 30 years, Benjamin Thompson III has owned Houston mornings. On the radio, he’s The Madd Hatta — Texas Radio Hall of Famer, producer, culture connector. These days, though, you’ll find him somewhere new: seated in a library, a picture book in hand, a room full of wide-eyed kids hanging on every rhyme.
That book is Kase’s Little Adventures, illustrated by Adam Batley and published through Madd Hatta’s own Paid in Full Entertainment Publishing. Written for kids ages 2 to 10, it moves through big ideas in small hands — ancestry, entrepreneurship, imagination, fatherhood, legacy.
The star of the story? Hatta’s son, Kase.
Here’s the beautiful part. Kase doesn’t fully get it yet. To him, he’s just being Kase. Madd Hatta isn’t rushing that.
“One day I hope he looks back and realizes his dad was documenting a little piece of his childhood in rhyme — and turning it into something that could inspire other children.”
That’s the mission driving Hatta’s community storytime tour with Houston Public Libraries. And he’s clear these aren’t quiet, sit-still-and-listen sessions.
Families should expect an interactive experience, he says — reading the book, talking through ancestry and entrepreneurship, teaching kids to believe in themselves. Kase shows up. So does his mom, Ashley, for a real family conversation about the story behind the story. Add photo ops and book signings, and the goal becomes simple: parents and kids leave inspired to keep reading and building stories together.
Madd Hatta chose the Houston Public Libraries on purpose.
“Houston has supported me for more than 30 years, so it was important to bring this book directly into the communities that supported me,” he explains. Libraries, Hatta points out, are one of the few places where every family can walk through the door and reach books, information, and opportunity — no matter their circumstances.
“My Father went to the library often when I was younger and I remember checking out videos to watch Jack Nicklaus golfing, nursery rhyme children’s books and books about making records in the music business.”
Kase’s Little Adventures is built to tell kids their ideas matter. The partnership carries that message straight into neighborhoods, while pushing parents — especially fathers — to read and spend real time with their kids.
The work keeps expanding. Through the Madd Hatta Cares Foundation, Hatta is preparing a $10,000 “I Am The Dream” Scholarship initiative, reaching young people at every stage of the journey.
Same goal, every time: let them know their story matters.
Catch the Tour — Local Author Storytime with Madd Hatta
- Saturday, August 1, 2026 · 3:00–4:30 PM · The African American Library at the Gregory School — 1300 Victor Street, Houston, TX 77019
- Saturday, August 8, 2026 · 3:00–4:30 PM · Alief-David M. Henington Regional Library — 11903 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, TX 77072
- Saturday, August 15, 2026 · 3:00–4:30 PM · McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library — 7405 Stella Link Road, Houston, TX 77025
Find the book at themaddhatta.com/kase, Class Bookstore online, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine book retailers.
