Bibliography
Klassen, Jon. 2012. This Is Not My Hat. Ill. By Jon Klassen. Somerville,
MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763655996
Plot Summary
A small fish tells the story of how he stole a hat from a
big fish. He is confident that he will
get away with the deed because the big fish was asleep, and he expects him to
sleep for a long time. The small fish claims that he knows stealing is wrong,
but justifies his actions because the hat was too small for the big fish
anyway. As he heads to where the plants grow big and tall and close together,
he is spotted by a crab. He isn’t worried by this detail either, because the
crab promises to keep his destination a secret. In the meantime, the big fish
wakes up and goes in search of his stolen hat.
Being confronted by a large, angry fish, the crab gives up the small
fish’s location. The big fish disappears
into the tall, close plants to find the small fish and his hat. The reader is
left to infer what happened when he emerges triumphant with his tiny hat on his
big head.
Critical Analysis
This is Not My Hat
features three nameless characters. The main character, a little fish,
immediately reveals a character flaw when he admits to stealing a hat. Children
can relate to the idea of wanting something that belongs to someone else or
something that they can’t have. The victim of the thievery, a big fish, seeks
revenge when he realizes his hat is missing. Children can relate to this idea
as well.
The story is told through subtle movements on the page.
Suspense builds as the little fish makes his escape and the reader realizes
that the big fish has awoken angry. The words of the little fish on the page do
not always match the illustration below. As the little fish brags about the big
fish being asleep for a long time, we see that he has actually woken up
confused. Then when he says that the big fish won’t know who took it, we see
the anger on his face with narrowing of his eyes. When the big fish follows the
little fish behind the tall, close plants, the narration goes silent. The
reader knows that there is action going on behind the scene, but are left to
draw their own conclusions.
The simplistic illustrations help tell the story as much as
the text does. Several pages are nearly identical, with only subtle changes to
the eyes and bubbles. Yet, these subtle changes give us insight into the thoughts
of the big fish. We see confusion, realization, and anger just through his
eyes. The dark background with monochromatic illustrations help create the
mysterious sea floor. When the fish disappear behind plants, I found myself
straining to find a glimpse of them in the scene.
The book raises several questions of morality. When the
little fish steals the hat, most would immediately agree that he was wrong in
his actions. When the crab breaks his promise to keep his secret, you are left
to contemplate if it is ever okay to break a promise. Finally, you are left to
consider the act of retaliation and violence when you see the big fish emerge
alone. These topics have caused it to receive criticism from some parents.
Others see it for a humorous story, and an opportunity to have open discussions
with their child about the issues presented.
Awards
2013 Caldecott Medal
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: “It’s a great story and it’s also
excellent for showing the picture book mechanics to kids – how illustration can
expand the text, how page turns can be used to build drama, and (at the climax)
how wordless images can allow the reader to form their own opinion about the
events of the story.”
Horn Book: “Klassen manages to tell almost the whole story
through subtle eye movements and the tilt of seaweed and air bubbles.”
Connections
*This book could be used to encourage conversations about
moral topics such as stealing, lying, and revenge.
*Write about a time in your life when you did something
wrong and had to suffer the consequences of your actions.
*Other children’s picture books with a similar theme:
·
Klassen, Jon. I Want My Hat Back. ISBN 0763655988
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