This book is perfect for early readers. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen is a book about this big brown bear who has simply lost his hat and really wants it back. He goes through all the animals her knows asking if they have seen his hat, and trusts their answers. He starts to get really upset and depressed and starts to think he is never going to see his hat again. Will the bear ever find his hat or will be just be sad, read this cute story to find out. The pictures in this book are extremely simple, with just the animals the bear is talking to, and maybe some little shades of grass to show the animals are outside. The hat, when mentioned, is the only bold color or object on the page. I sense the reason behind this is so that early readers will not distracted by the pictures when trying to sound out the words. Also, none of the animals show facial expressions, only the shape of their eyes change barely to show some conversation between animals.The theme of this book is to trust people, but to also be aware of your belongings. I Want My Hat Back would fall under the genre of early reader Mystery novels. The plot does have some rising actions, a climax, and falling actions however, they are not to dramatic or really grasp your attention Even though this book is simple and it does not have many complex words, it is still creative and carefully thought out for beginner readers. Jon Klassen has been illustrating books for a while now but this is the first book that he wrote and I’m so glad to hear not only could he draw but there is a great talent in this guy for storytelling as well! It all begins with a bear, who lost his hat, and wants it back and the mystery of “who done it” begins. He begins his search by asking all the woodland animals if they’d seen his hat (all reply in the negative except for the rabbit who’s wearing the hat but we skip over that). The bear finally realized that he’s seen his hat in his search and runs back to the rabbit and… well, things happen and at the end of the day the bear had his hat back.I’ve loved Klassen’s unique artistic – a combination of Chinese ink and digital art – and how well it matches his tone, the over all style of writing and storytelling pulls it all together. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the character’s subtle expressions and movements. The focus is on the characters (unnamed throughout) and the lack of overwhelming background illustrations and colors used for the book brings this home.The book ends with a sort of dark twist dealing with the rabbit, who stole the hat, and the bear. Some people may not appreciate the ending for children but I think because what happens is off-screen and Klassen leans on his ability to express his talent for subtle expressions and conveying the story. It’s wry, deadpan, ironic and very funny in a way that very few children’s picture books can pull off.
What do You think about Je Veux Mon Chapeau (2012)?
Nothing stands between a bear and his hat. You've been warned.
—agustaeva
One of the best children's books I've ever read.
—Suz
1-3 readersOn the dark side....Good Read aloud
—Kat
