This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

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Justification

This title was chosen for the Caldecott Medal in 2012 and has very simple, but well done illustrations that drive the plot forward. The illustrations accompany fairly simple text that would allow for easy enjoyment by the reader. It is the second installment of the Hat Trilogy series, and comically talks about the consequences of stealing. 

Evaluation

Illustrations: The illustrations in This Is Not My Hat are achromatic with an interesting visual texture set against a black background. While simple, they make the fish the focal point and draw the eye to him and the other characters when they are featured. I think this helps the story move along, as more detailed underwater illustrations would detract from the "seriousness" of hat theft. Specifically, the simplicity of the illustrations helps the reader understand the story, as the thief boasts about how he will be able to easily get away from the owner of the hat. As there are so few items on each page, the reader is easily drawn to the expressions conveyed in the thief's and hat owner's eyes.

Text: The text is very simple and straightforward, conveying events as told by an unreliable narrator. The text is strictly from the small fish's point of view and narrates over actions he himself does not see, thus giving the entire story a dark and humorous irony that is easy to understand.

Plot: The unreliability of the narrator coupled with the illustrations contribute heavily to the plot with his obvious lack of morals and his ostentatious boasts about not getting caught. Ethically, the little fish is in the wrong, which creates a delightfully ironic story with comical tone. It is as if This Is Not My Hat is both against stealing and simultaneously telling the reader exactly how not to get caught if they do steal. Since the story is told in first person, the reader automatically knows that the narrator is unreliable and amoral by both his actions and his words. The large fish is justifiably angry and follows the small fish into the plants, ambiguously exiting with his hat placed back on his head and a satisfied smile, thus leaving the reader to question what happened to the little fish. Was he eaten or simply intimidated into returning the hat?

Conclusion

This Is Not My Hat is a fun early reader book that would amuse any reader. The dark humor makes it entertaining for parents without being too much for children. Out of five starts, I give it five--the illustrations are fun and engage the reader visually in the story while the text adds a humorous voice to thieving narrator that makes the ending all the funnier for its ambiguity.

Citation
Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press.