This Is Not My Hat

Posted byLi-Berry-ianPosted inUncategorized
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Bibliography: Klassen, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. Somerville,, MA: Candlewick Press, 2012.

ISBN-13 : 978-0763655990

Plot summary: This dark humor picture books takes the reader on a journey through the ocean to discover if a little fish will get away with a stolen hat. The book has few words and is written in the point of view of a fish who steals a hat from a big fish on the very first page. The other characters in the story only communicate with body language. The dialogue ends six pages before the book, to keep the reader guessing.

Analysis: Jon Klassen starts his humorous picture book with a line that will surely get any young child’s attention. “I just stole it”, is not a sentence you often see in a kid’s book. But it is the perfect way to hook the audience. As the book progresses the little thief is certain he has gotten away with his new hat. The book takes the reader through a journey in the ocean in a great escape style. The dark illustrations add to the suspense of the little fish’s journey. The book is written in the point of view of the little fish, however the pages are filled with characters that speak with their eyes and gestures. In the story, the fish admits what he does is wrong but doesn’t change his mind. In just a few words and action you can have great discussion on character traits. The end of the book will either get a gasp or giggle. The last six pages are beautifully painted oceans scenes drawn on the same dark background the book is consistent with. The author who also illustrated the story was consistent in the theme using muted tones throughout the book. There are no words on these last pages. The book leaves a lot to the imagination and the young reader will use inferencing to decide the fate of the main character.

Reviews:
“Klassen combines spare text and art to deliver no small measure of laughs in another darkly comic haberdashery whodunit.” Kirkus ( Kirkus )

“A marvelous book in the true dictionary sense of ‘marvel’: it is a wonderful and astonishing thing, the kind of book that makes child laugh and adult chuckle, and both smile in appreciation. A charmingly wicked little book.” —The New York Times Book Review

Awards: **as listed on Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database 

Connections:

After reading the book to your class, explain to students that we really don’t know what happened in the end. Sometimes authors leave their readers guessing. Have students write and illustrate their own ending. The students can use post it notes and can later graph answers to make a math connection.

This is Not My Hat is a great book to recreate. Building comprehension and recall, students can get in small groups to act out the story. Some can even be the “plants that are big and tall”.

In the story, the crab plays an important yet silent part. Have students brainstorm how the story would change if the crab gave advice. In a writing station, have the students write in a speech bubble above pre-printed pictures of the crab.

Use this book as an extension to a character building lesson. Ask which character trait was lacking at the start of the book. How could honesty or integrity or even empathy change the story?

Accommodations:

Provide feeling cards for the students to hold. The students will hold up a card based on the character that is being discussed. Ask why they think the big fish, little fish, crab might be feeling that way. Make connections to times they felt the same way.

Act out the story using a lunchbox that is stolen when a classmate leaves to the bathroom. Making the story more real, students will have an easier time inferring what might happen in the end.

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