This Is Not My Hat

Title: This Is Not My Hat  

Author: Jon Klassen 

Illustrator: Jon Klassen

Publisher: Candlewick Press 

Publication Date: October 9th, 2012 

Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 

GoodReads Summary: From the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning I Want My Hat Back comes a second wry tale.

When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale. 

What I Think: I vividly remember standing at the Candlewick Press booth back in April and finally holding this long-awaited story from Jon Klassen. After the countless discussions and debates I have participated in over I Want My Hat Back, I was beyond ecstatic to be holding This Is Not My Hat. I ran my hand over the cover and took a breath before I actually opened the book. I felt like a five-year-old on her birthday all over again: that moment when you have waited and waited and mingled with family and posed for pictures and eaten cake and now it's finally the time for you to open your presents...and then you know that it'll be over once you actually rip into the first package so you hesitate. That's exactly how I felt holding This Is Not My Hat in my hands. Finally, I opened the book. I was entirely the opposite of disappointed. This book is similar to I Want My Hat Back but unique at the same time. The sense of foreboding and suspense in This Is Not My Hat is remarkable. Knowing what ensues between the bear and the rabbit (and thanks to Travis at 100 Scope Notes, we actually, truly, really do know!), had me on pins and needles as I read this book. My all-time favorite page/layout in children's literature is the are the two pages of all seaweed. It's completely brilliant. I had to pause on that page again knowing that I was nearing the end and that once I turned the page, I would know what became of the little fish who ventured in there. Can you guess? There are actually far less clues to help us infer in This Is Not My Hat.

     Since I first read I Want My Hat Back, I have not gone long before conversations online or offline returning to the bear and the rabbit. The discussions surrounding I Want My Hat Back have been extremely thought-provoking. A whole community of readers became that much more connected because of it. Just last week, I was talking about it with a new co-worker and I had a revelation about another discussion starter it could be. I am looking forward to all the discussions we will now have around both of these books and how they are similar but still different and the kinds of discussions they can start. I can't wait to hear how everyone responds to This Is Not My Hat!!!! 

     One more thing - next Friday, October 19th, Jon Klassen will be in Naperville at Anderson's Bookshop. Words cannot even describe how insanely excited I am to hear him speak and meet him in person. It's going to be tremendously difficult to tame my inner squee. I'll be interviewing Jon before the event and will share my interview here next week! (Squee! Hey, I can squee all I want now...just not next Friday...) If you have anything you would like me to ask him, let me know in the comments.

Read Together: Grades 3 - 12 

Read Alone: Grades 3 - 12 

Read With: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, Pierre by Maurice Sendak, Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, Oh No, George by Chris Haughton

Snatch of Text:  

"This hat is not mine.

I just stole it."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Identifying Story Elements, Making Inferences, Making Connections  

Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative 

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you felt you were treated unfairly. Write about a time in your life when you did something wrong and had to suffer the consequences of your actions.

Topics Covered: Fish, Integration - Science/Sealife, Stealing, Wrong Vs. Right, Punishment, Revenge, Choices

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