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November 12, 2011 by Travis Jonker

Review: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

November 12, 2011 by Travis Jonker   2 comments

I Want My Hat Back
By Jon Klassen

Candlewick Press

ISBN: 9780763655983
$15.99
Grades K-3
In Stores

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*Best New Book*
*2011 Cybils Nominee*

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

The experience of reading I Want My Hat Back is somewhat similar to watching the comedy of Steven Wright:

Like Wright’s work, Jon Klassen’s hilarious, deadpan picture book will be divisive. Not everyone will enjoy it. But those that do like it are gonna really like it.

Bear is missing something he loves – his pointy red hat. In an effort to get it back, he trudges through the forest, questioning every animal he encounters.

Have you seen my hat?

No. I have not seen any hats around here.

OK. Thank you anyway.

No one has seen it, but one of the animals may not be telling the truth. Bear eventually realizes his oversight, and runs back to the rabbit to fix the situation. Permanently.

Oh, the conclusion. If the tone of the book up to the ending didn’t already force readers into “I love it” or “I hate it” camps, the darkly comedic ending will. Me? I’m all for it.

The earthy, relatively stark Chinese ink and digital illustrations are a perfect match for the text. Characters are almost always shown in full, making the occasional close-up more powerful. The melancholic look also provides humor, as the monotone dialog can be played for laughs in a read-aloud setting.

While I loved it, I know it won’t please everyone. But it is safe to say that it will elicit some sort of reaction from every reader who opens the cover. When you think about it, that’s about as big a compliment as you can get.

Review copy from the publisher.

Watch the book trailer for I Want My Hat Back:

(Thanks to Watch. Connect. Read. for the link)

Also reviewed by A Year of Reading, Playing by the Book, books4yourkids, Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Waking Brain Cells, A Fuse #8 Production.

Filed under: *Best New Books*, 2012 YMAs, Reviews

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About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

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Trackbacks

  1. Ni guerras ni malos rollos, sólo dejar las cosas claras! | SuperYuppies says:
    January 14, 2013 at 8:41 am

    […] —–** Madre mía la de comentarios que está generando este post!! Como me es imposible responder a todo el mundo quiero aclarar varias cosas: 1, por suerte a Superyuppies de momento, no nos han acusado de nada relacionado con plagio, sólo nos han dicho que no está bien lo de las tarifas Low Cost porque hacemos competencia ”desleal” a otros estudios, a lo cual… me remito a la explicación ya dada en el post de POR QUÉ ofrecemos estas tarifas y cuales son nuestras condiciones, las cuales por cierto, están en la página de Diseño a Mini Precios. Pa’que digan!! 2. No estoy hablando de CALCAR, estoy hablando de que muchas veces los defensores wonderfulianos acusan a otros estudios de que les copian las ideas, y lo que aquí digo es que Mr. Wonderful son los más conocidos, pero no los primeros en inventar nada. Y aquí aprovecho para mostraros algo que me han mandado esta mañana en un mail: para que veáis que puede que ellos también se inspiren (o no, capaz es casualidad!) en otros artistas y nadie les ataca. Fijaros en la foto, si? ok! https://100scopenotes.com/2011/11/12/review-i-want-my-hat-back-by-jon-klassen/ […]

  2. Entry #1: Define children’s literature and why it is important for children’s oral language development | Jessica Abrego's Blog says:
    December 8, 2013 at 12:23 am

    […] I want my hat back. (Online image 2). Retrieved December 8, 2013 from: https://100scopenotes.com/2011/11/12/review-i-want-my-hat-back-by-jon-klassen/ […]

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