Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2013 A simply told story with a delicious and irresistible mischievous twist in its ending. Poor Bear! He has lost his hat. He asks everyone if they have seen it but no one can help. Where can it be? Just when Bear has given up all hope he spies it. And someone else is wearing it. Poor Rabbit! Where is he once Bear has his hat back? With its spare, building text and beautifully simple illustrations this tells its tale wittily.
The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as it he begins to lose hope, a deer comes by and asks a rather obvious question that suddenly sparks the bear's memory and renews his search with a vengeance. This is a picture book debut by a rising talent that tells a cumulative tale with a cheeky twist, aided by graphically simple, and truly hilarious, illustrations. The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as it he begins to lose hope, lying flat on his back in despair, a deer comes by and asks a rather obvious question that suddenly sparks the bear's memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this quirky take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humour and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke. This title features an exciting new author/illustrator talent, previously an artist for Dreamworks Feature Animation. It's subversive humour sure to please children and adults. It is perfect as a read aloud.
"Deliberately understated, with delectable results... Skillful characterizations; though they're simply drawn and have little to say, each animal emerges fully realized." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Author
About Jon Klassen
Jon Klassen has created illustrations for popular series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and served as an illustrator on the animated feature film Coraline. His illustrations for Caroline Stutson's Cats Night Out won the Governor General Award in 2010. I Want My Hat Back is the first book he has both written and illustrated. Originally from Niagara Falls, Canada, he lives in Los Angeles, USA.
