Jon Klassen

I Want My Hat Back

Monicap

Sarah Sammis

Although I'd heard of I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, it took the numerous parodies that were popping up across the internet to get me to read it. The one that finally did it was The Doctor Wants His Fez Back.

I Want My Hat Back is, in itself a parody of the children's book which takes a character to meet all the friends in the quest for something. In this case, the Bear is looking for his hat. He interviews each character in the book until he finds his hat.

How he gets his hat back, though, is up to interpretation. The youngest readers might not get how he does it. The most observant ones, though, will get the joke and see it coming. It's funny either way.

The Bear and his forest companions make a cameo appearance in Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett (review coming).

rita

Bear's stoic face is what gripped me in the beginning. I love how his face remains the same till the end. I falsely assumed he was gonna be a grumpy old thing, but it was a delight to find out he was sweet and polite.

And, of course, the ending was hilarious, I think this has to be my favourite picture book ever.

Bear's stoic face is what gripped me in the beginning. I love how his face remains the same till the end. I falsely assumed he was gonna be a grumpy old thing, but it was a delight to find out he was sweet and polite.

And, of course, the ending was hilarious, I think this has to be my favourite picture book ever.

renee badenoch

This is a book that parents will enjoy as much as kids. It's storytelling is masterful, being both laugh-out-loud funny and subtle at the same time. John Klassen's muted illustrations are beautiful.

I Want My Hat Back

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