This Is Not My Hat Review

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Klassen, Jon. 2012. This Is Not My Hat. Ill. by Jon Klassen. Somerville: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-5599-0.

 This Is Not My Hat is the story of a thief; a small fish who decides to take the hat of a big fish while he is sleeping. The small fish knows that it is wrong to steal the hat, but rationalizes the theft by telling the reader the big fish probably won't notice it is gone and that the hat is too little for the big fish. The hat does fit the small fish perfectly and he is sure he can hide form the big fish. Of course, there is one tiny problem; the crab saw what the little fish did and where he went. The crab promises not to tell, but when big fish arrives, crab breaks his promise. Big fish soon returns with his hat while little fish is not seen again.


Jon Klassen combines limited text with narrative pictures to offer a complete story that readers of all ages will enjoy. He reels the reader in immediately (pun intended!) when his little fish admits his theft on the first page. As his story unfolds everyone can relate to wanting something so badly that they act on the impulse while trying to justify it in their own mind. The laughter and tension rises with each page as the illustrations contradict the story little fish is telling himself; "...he probably won't notice that it's gone.", as big fish looks up to see his hat missing. Each step brings big fish closer to finding his hat as he swims into the tall grass where little fish is hiding. What happens then? We are left to guess because all we know for sure is that big fish swims back home with his little hat on his head!


Children will understand the message that stealing is wrong and will surely engage in a conversation about what they believe happened to little fish in the tall grass. Was little fish eaten by big fish? Scared away? Did he deserve what happened to him? What would they do if someone stole their hat? Klassen leaves the subject open for discussion rather than moralizing or expressing his personal beliefs which is uncommon in children's literature. His use of fish as characters removes stereotypes and generalizations that might be present if he had placed human characters in the situation. 


This Is Not My Hat has straightforward text and darkly humorous, engaging illustrations. According to the copyright page, the illustrations were digitally created and in Chinese ink which result in simple yet elegant full page spreads that reveal the story on their own. Klassen's dark backgrounds place all the emphasis on the expressive characters leading to a visual experience that draws the reader even further into the story. Just looking at the eyes of his characters tell a great deal about the story and what will happen next.


The ambiguous ending may be a strength to some, a weakness to others depending on who is reading This Is Not My Hat. I enjoy the conversations that stem from allowing the reader to choose their own ending, but some patrons at my library have been frustrated because they prefer a concrete conclusion. I can understand the parents who are concerned that the implication is that little fish came to a violent end, but again, the invitation to engage in a conversation about that possibility and many others is positive, I think.


Jon Klassen wrote and illustrated I Want My Hat Back which is the 2012 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book and the New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year.


This Is Not My Hat is the winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal.

Booklist gave This Is Not My Hat a starred review commenting that, "The simple, dramatic tension and macabre humor that’s right at a kid’s level of deviousness mesh splendidly with Klassen’s knack for tiny, telling details and knockout page turns." Klassen also received strred reviews from The Horn Book, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.



This Is Not My Hat can be used as a starting point for conversations about serious subjects such as theft, honesty, making promises, and violence. Children can be encouraged to explore more picture books that have limited text or are wordless and develop their own storytelling skills. They can also delve into the importance of illustrations and how small details can enrich the story.


Amazon. Editorial reviews. http://www.amazon.com/This-Is-Not-My-Hat/dp/product-description/0763655996/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books. (Accessed September 6, 2013.)