Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Debate on Books of Consequence

One of my favorite books this year is Jon Klassen's This is Not My Hat. It is a book that teaches consequences for bad choices plain and simple. SPOILER ALERT: You steal a hat, you get caught and there are consequences.

Klassen's other book, I Want My Hat Back follows the same theme. There are others too. William Bee's Whatever for example.

Anyway, the debate around here is whether it a good book or not and seems to center on the fact that the crook is caught and suffers consequence (he's eaten). Some say that the statement from the culprit on page one, "This is not my hat. I stole it." makes it a book to be avoided. I say wrong, wrong, wrong.

The book brilliantly speaks to the way children think. They know they've made a bad choice when they do, for the most part, but try to rationalize their decision in their minds. Klassen illustrates that process perfectly as well as the feeling that they won't get caught.

These books are important in today's "everybody wins" culture. Children are not learning to take responsibility for their actions, how to deal with disappointment, that they have to work to succeed, or even that no means no. If we can do that through picture books that they enjoy, and they do enjoy these types of books, all the better.

There are exceptions to this rule too. Jeanne Willis's book, A Tadpole's Promise, is a horrible book I think that basically teaches kids if people who are different try to get together, tragedy ensues.

Oh, and This is Not My Hat won the Caldecott Medal this year, so there.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Books About Consequence: Not My Hat


Not My Hat 

  • by: Jon Klassen 
  • Illustrations by the author. 
  • Hardcover: 40 pages 
  • Language: English 
  • ISBN: 0763655996 
  • ISBN 13: 978-0763655990 
  • Date: 2012 
  • Price (as of the date of this post): $9.99 (Amazon without shipping) 
  • Where to buy? Amazon.com

I LOVE this book! I really like books that make kids laugh but also cause them to think and this one does. Books of consequence, like When Charlie McButton Lost Power and Whatever teach through entertaining story lines and expressive illustrations. This is another book from that shelf.

Fans of Mr. Klassen will recognize familiar themes from his other book, I Want My Hat Back. Some may dismiss it as a retread of the first book and for them I am sorry.

In both books an animal has something stolen, goes looking for it and there are consequences for the perpetrator. But the genius of Not My Hat over I Want My Hat Back is that the story is told from the perspective of the perpetrator and not the victim. We hear child-like explanations throughout and they are spot on.

The illustrations by the author have an earthy and organic feel to them. They are beautiful and suit the story telling perfectly. I particularly like the expressions on the victim's face as the story progresses.

This is a great book, there I go repeating myself, but really...a great book. He is a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Award winner after all. Go get it.

Content: 5/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Concept: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Price: 5/5