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.