Module 3: This is not my hat - Caldecott Winners

Book Summary:

A little fish has stolen a hat from a big fish.  He has a conversation with the reader as tells the reader why he should have the hat and that he will be able to avoid detection if he can only make it to the tall, dense plants.  The big fish is very aware of who has stolen his hat and he sets out to retrieve his stolen property.

APA Reference: 

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Impressions:

This is such a dark book. The little fish tries to rationalize and explain that he should have the hat because it fits him better.  This is human nature to try and make excuses for our wrong doings instead of facing the consequences of our actions.  The book never comes out and says that the big fish ate the little fish, but revenge is not a pretty picture and sometimes consequences are painful.

Professional Review:

The eyes have it in Klassen's latest hat book. Klassen manages to tell almost the whole story through subtle eye movements and the tilt of seaweed and air bubbles. The wide-eyed little fish on the cover looks guilty. He is. He has taken the tiny bowler from the head of a large sleeping fish and pleads his case to the reader. He explains why he will never be caught—the fish is asleep; he won't wake up or notice the missing hat; and he won't know who took it or where the thief has gone. The culprit continues to flee the scene of the crime, moving to "where the plants are big and tall and close together." Once he reaches his destination, the reader sees the little guy for the last time, disappearing amidst the "safety" of the seaweed. The final spread is laugh-out-loud funny: the large fish now sports the teeny hat, eyes closed and relaxed in slumber. The seaweed wafts innocently, and the air bubbles calm. Since every claim the little fish makes is belied by the pictures, the reader is in on the joke, by turns rooting for him to get away and nervously hoping he is caught. Klassen continues to be the master of black and brown, and the viewer will not tire of the palette. Little eyes will pore over the end pages, looking for evidence of foul play, but all the interaction between the two characters takes place where the plants grow tall and close together, obscuring the view. Darkly hilarious.

Smith, R.L. (2012). This is not my hat. Horn Book Magazine, 10(12),  66-67.

Library Uses:

This book can used to teach inference and to speculate what the big fish did to the little fish.