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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.
A turtle, an armadillo and a snake – all in signature Klassen hats – ponder the best place to sit. Turtle has his favourite spot, but armadillo has a bad feeling about it… Told entirely in speech – but with colour differentiation so it is easy to see who is talking – three friends escape a deadly fate (which is never mentioned) as they chat and continue their simple lives. The humour and anticipation from the wonderful artwork is never emphasized – it is just there to make you laugh and chortle as the stories unfold. Told in a totally deadpan way this is a huge picture book (90+ pages) that will have fans from Reception classes upwards thoroughly enjoying the completely visual joke. The muted colours only enhance the simplicity, the humour and the musing on life of our three characters – a total gem that will be winning prizes everywhere!
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 - Winner of the UKLA Book Awards 3-6yrs 2014 - Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. One of Julia Eccleshare’s Stand-out Children’s Book of the Year 2012 | Francesca Simon, Guest Editor February 2021: "Stunning picture book about a little fish who has pinched a big fish’s hat, trying to convince himself that he’s got away with it. Meanwhile, the wronged fish is in hot pursuit. I actually screamed when the two adversaries vanish into the big, tall plants. My favourite kind of picture book, where words and pictures tell a subtly different story. Genius." ..................................... Best-selling illustrator Jon Klassen follows up his successful I Want My Hat Back in this witty, almost wordless picture book about a tiny fish who steals a hat from a very big fish – and hopes to get away with it. The eloquent but simple illustrations show the audacious behaviour of a hapless fish heading for disaster. Young children will love the joke...and the fact that they know what the little fish doesn’t.
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.
Award-winning Jon Klassen is as witty, engaging and subtle as ever in this delightful story with a very big theme but told in only a very few words. Two Turtles find a hat. It looks good on both of them and they would both love to wear it. But there are two of them and only one hat. What will they do? Jon Klassen’s trademark minimalist illustrations carry all the expression that is needed to tell this story of wanting and sharing. A gem of a book to read, re-read and savour. ~ Julia Eccleshare
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | A Julia Eccleshare Book of the Month October 2016 Award-winning Jon Klassen is as witty, engaging and subtle as ever in this delightful story with a very big theme but told in only a very few words. Two Turtles find a hat. It looks good on both of them and they would both love to wear it. But there are two of them and only one hat. What will they do? Jon Klassen’s trademark minimalist illustrations carry all the expression that is needed to tell this story of wanting and sharing. A gem of a book to read, re-read and savour. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for October 2016 Kim by Rudyard Kipling The Fox and the Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo Coming to England by Floella Benjamin Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie Louise Fitzpatrick We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher The War Next Door by Phil Earle
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 - Winner of the UKLA Book Awards 3-6yrs 2014 - Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. One of Julia Eccleshare’s Stand-out Children’s Book of the Year 2012 | Best-selling illustrator Jon Klassen follows up his successful I Want My Hat Back in this witty, almost wordless picture book about a tiny fish who steals a hat from a very big fish – and hopes to get away with it. The eloquent but simple illustrations show the audacious behaviour of a hapless fish heading for disaster. Young children will love the joke...and the fact that they know what the little fish doesn’t.
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 - Winner of the UKLA Book Awards 3-6yrs 2014- Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. One of Julia Eccleshare’s Stand-out Children’s Book of the Year 2012 Best-selling illustrator Jon Klassen follows up his successful I Want My Hat Back in this witty, almost wordless picture book about a tiny fish who steals a hat from a very big fish – and hopes to get away with it. The eloquent but simple illustrations show the audacious behaviour of a hapless fish heading for disaster. Young children will love the joke...and the fact that they know what the little fish doesn’t. ___________________________ The UKLA Book Awards are held annually and are the only UK children’s book awards that are voted for by teachers. The judges said This is Not My Hat was destined to become a classic: “Klassen successfully combines elements of pantomime – a moral tale and a horror story with almost unbearable suspense in this outstanding picture book. The clever interplay between text and illustration allows the reader to witness the sheer optimism of a thieving fish while simultaneously observing the inevitable consequence of his actions.”
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. ~ Julia Eccleshare
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.
