This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
A book about theft. Little fish steals big fish’s hat and thinks it’s got away with it. We know otherwise.
So much depends on the relationship of reader and child. There is that time when a child discovers lying: words do not have to match reality. With a loving reader this book can be a light-hearted way of mutually acknowledging the intricacies of deceit. Child and adult collude in the fun of theft and the ultimate futility of deception. But there is also the potential for this book to be oppressive, to become a tool for moral severity.
It is stylishly illustrated and unfolds excitingly, but I suggest considering carefully who you are buying it for: will it lift or oppress the spirit?
