I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Buy I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: An amusing and quirky tale of a bear trying to get his hat back. The pared-down nature works very well in the right hands, but a mundane reader would make it a weaker book than other similar picture books. There's still plenty to enjoy.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 40	Date: October 2011
Publisher: Walker
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1406336832
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The poor bear has lost his hat. He wants it back. As with all bears, he's a bit of a surly ol' thing. His pointy red hat is about the only thing that puts a smile on his face, and he just can't find it. The fox and frog don't know where it is, the rabbit is evasive, and the tortoise is more interested in climbing a rock. How will bear ever find his hat? Poor bear.

I Want My Hat Back is a beautifully pared back picture book. The text is sparse, with a strong sense of repetition throughout. The humour isn't hammered home, but there's plenty of scope for the reader to play it up, and give the devious rabbit a sneaky voice. The cut-down nature of the tale can be either a strength or a weakness. In the right hands, with plenty of silly voices, it's a deliciously funny story, with a devilish twist. However, if the reader is lacking flair, then the fact that it's speech only limits what they can get their teeth stuck into. You, I'm sure, will be able to let it shine.

Jon Klassen's illustrations are intriguing. The bear, with his big torso and lack of shoulders, immediately looks big and grumpy. The fox is wily, as foxes always are. The tortoise is slow and lumbering. They all have very direct eyes, but are surprisingly expressionless. To call it a blank canvas would be unfair, but much like the text, it's down to the reader to sell the illustrations. I really like them - they're unusual, funny, and stylish. The colours might be a little dull for young kids, but they are appropriate. If you simply take them in, they're great illustrations, but when you try to pinpoint what's good or bad about them, nit-picking comes more readily than praise.

It is vital that picture books are read with verve and enthusiasm, and I Want My Hat Back certainly encourages that. I am left with a slight nagging doubt that if anyone wasn't quite firing on all cylinders, it would suffer more than other similarly paced books. It's still well worth reading, and gets a warm recommendation from me."

For more bear-based fun, check out Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman, The Bear in the Cave by Michael Rosen and Adrian Reynolds and A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton.

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You can read more book reviews or buy I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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