I Want my hat Back

Locations
Call Number: E KLA, Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Klassen, Jon
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	E KLA	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	E KLA	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	E KLA	4-week checkout	Due 05-24-2024
Malletts Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Klassen, Jon	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Klassen, Jon	4-week checkout	Due 05-04-2024
Malletts Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Klassen, Jon	4-week checkout	Due 05-14-2024
Westgate Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Klassen, Jon	4-week checkout	Due 05-20-2024

A bear almost gives up his search for his missing hat until he remembers something important.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Bear In A Hat submitted by jaegerla on December 19, 2011, 9:56am This is a good choice for reading at a storytime. There isn't a lot of dialogue or explanation so you can ask the kids what they think is going on, do funny voices for the animals, etc.

A must-read submitted by yugure on October 24, 2012, 12:01pm Possibly my favorite picture book of all time. Clever and humorous with delightful pictures.

for kids? submitted by ssands on August 8, 2013, 2:25pm I thought this was pretty funny, but I'm an adult. It seemed violent for a toddler.

surprise ending submitted by fairytale on August 14, 2013, 5:39pm This book is funny throughout and has a surprise/shocking ending.

Not so nice submitted by rimpopu on July 28, 2014, 8:50am It is funny for older kids and adults but for little ones it can be disturbing. Rabbit blatantly lies and the bear copies that in the end not to mention the violent someone meets. This does not send a good message to kids. I don't see this as read aloud book for a classroom unless you encourage that sort of sense of humor. Better to borrow than to buy. Not a good gift idea. Just my 2c.

Not didactic... submitted by LibraryMaven on August 5, 2014, 8:42am but a lot of fun. This is a picture book for slightly older kids who can synthesize what is going on in words and what is going on in pictures to get the whole story, which is a very valuable developmental skill. The end may be a little shocking to some but then, so are the Grimm fairy tales, and may not teach moral lessons (other than don't steal other people's hats, because bad things happen) but then, neither do some Doctor Seuss books. There is a lot to talk about with kids at you read and as another reader commented, you can do funny voices for the animals...there really is a lot going on here. And of course, the illustrations are fantastic.

Great Book, Not for the Overly Sensitive submitted by Sara W on July 28, 2015, 6:43pm The book and its illustrations are fantastic. Everything about this book is engaging. The distinctive style, and the "have you seen my hat" repetition really draw in a listener. It's also a great one to read aloud with animal voices.

There's a bit of a surprise at the end, while pretty fitting for the animal world, it might surprise some readers. My toddler hasn't minded it at all and is just pretty amused about how Bear recalls seeing his hat.

Fun!! submitted by betsywil on August 12, 2015, 9:03am This book is clever and fun, with words and pictures combining to tell a fun story.
Yes, as earlier comments have said, there is (offstage) violence. But, you know your kids. Just read it first yourself, and then decide to read and then discuss with them. And then likely reread it again, and again, and again....

So funny! submitted by trina05 on June 18, 2018, 12:45pm Fantastic picture book

Funny and beautifully done submitted by wellscai on August 11, 2018, 4:32pm Jon Klassen is one of my favorite illustrators, and this book is not only beautifully drawn but funny as well. The one issue that yes, the twist at the end is a little violent (though that's not depicted on the page), so judge for yourself whether the child you're reading it with would be disturbed by it.

Best Modern Kids Series submitted by dntanzer on August 31, 2018, 3:08pm This series is funny and beautiful. As others mentioned, there is some implied violence towards the end so make sure to check that out before reading to young kids!

Funny submitted by pepemama on June 15, 2019, 10:08am A good book for older kids, a little violent

Amazing submitted by RowPio on June 24, 2019, 10:17pm this is literally my favorite children's book hands down.

Deliciously Dark submitted by Meginator on July 14, 2019, 4:44pm This book runs on some desert-dry humor and a keen sense of irony, with a somewhat shocking conclusion that might prove a bit too much for some sensitive souls. I really appreciated the repetitive element, which allows for even the youngest readers to grasp the basic thrust of the story without requiring them to fully comprehend the nuances of its humor. That humor is deliciously dark and draws a lot of depth out of simple sentences and a fairly predictable narrative pattern; Klassen packs a lot into what appears on the surface to be a straightforward tale of a bear and his beloved, missing hat. The illustrations are simple, to match the text, and mainly depict distorted versions of familiar woodland creatures; I particularly liked the deer, although a couple of the other animals were difficult to identify for certain. Altogether, this book’s unexpected, point-blank humor is a nice change of pace from the treacly feel-good nature of many picture books (though that, too, definitely has its place in children’s literature) and should age well alongside its readers.

Funny submitted by Annabeth4 on July 30, 2019, 5:29pm When I was around five maybe I loved this book! It’s so funny!

Definitely a dry sense of humor! submitted by Cihendricks on August 24, 2019, 4:49pm This is another delight from Klassen, but it is a little dry and dark in the narrative. It's definitely something that you'd want to talk about with the littles after you read it to them.

Horrifying submitted by KimB on March 24, 2021, 11:20am The animals lie, steal, and murder. The bear EATS the rabbit that stole his hat and lied about it.

vv submitted by SoapyCupcaketoeNaIL on July 19, 2021, 1:59pm vvfggggggggg

night submitted by smr on August 28, 2021, 9:40am rgvcs

Great Book submitted by jibkidder on June 20, 2022, 6:55pm Possibly the best recent children's author in the game right now.

The bear can talk, and wears a hat, but is otherwise a very normal bear... submitted by journeyhawthorne on August 25, 2022, 1:04pm And you know what bears do when they're angry?
I do. Kids do. You probably do too.
Very funny!

A hit submitted by keldan315 on July 10, 2023, 9:37pm A big hit with early elementary aged kids. Great for storytime and interactive questions

A bit dark submitted by Emily LB on July 25, 2023, 9:57pm Not sure what it says about me that I don’t love this book, when everyone else gives it rave reviews. It’s just a touch too dark for a children’s book for me.