We Found a Hat

I was surprised by this book - I thought I knew what I was in for but in a happy twist, nobody got murdered!
Klassen continues to kill it. I'm not even going to pretend that I'm thinking about whether or not a kid would like this book because I don't care. I love this book. The low-key dialogue and layout, paired with the shiftiest of all shifty eyes, can somehow portray some serious emotion. The turtles don't even have eyebrows and I can see the shifting feelings roiling inside of turtle 1.

Man, it's just so simple and beautiful. I'm sad this is the third in the trilogy, but I'm excited to see what's coming.

I'm not sure how Klassen's hat books continue to be so appealing. I think it's that his stories manage to tap into pretty deep emotions, while keeping zen-like calm through simple declarative text. Also the subtexts that tell the real story are so charming and silly and obvious. This is a great book about friendship and jealousy and kindness and empathy. About making kind choices and not betraying trust, even when it's tempting to do otherwise. Or about 2 turtles and a hat. Good times.

Two turtles find a hat, but one hat isn't enough for two! What should they do next?

After being disappointed by the first two books in this series, I was prepared to dislike this one. Honestly if I hadn't borrowed the whole trilogy at once, I probably wouldn't have bothered going back for this one. However, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this title!

With the first two having such morbid endings, I was gearing myself up for some Solomon-splitting-the-baby-in-half logic to be applied to the problem of one hat for two turtles. Instead the pair decide that neither should have it if they both can't have their own hat. In more typical children's literature, the characters probably would have opted to share, but this way works too.

Despite show more some instances of less-than-stellar impulses on the part of one turtle, ultimately the ending here is kinder (arguably more saccharine) than the other two books in the series. That might make it disappointing to folks who enjoyed the more nefarious vibes to those other titles, but it definitely made this book more appealing to me. show less

Two turtles discover a hat at the same time in this third Jon Klassen picture-book to feature headgear. Although they both like the hat, and it looks good on both of them, the turtles leave it behind because it would be unfair for one to have what the other can't. Despite this, one of the turtles finds himself (herself?) unable to stop thinking about that alluring head-covering. Will he go back and get it when his companion is asleep, or will events take another course...?

I found myself somewhat less enthralled with We Found a Hat than with its two predecessors, I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat. Although the artwork is appealing, in that subtly-colored stylized way, the story here just isn't as engaging. It lacks the somewhat show more sardonic humor of the previous two - here is no hat theft, nor any decidedly un-sweet reclaiming of hat by original owner - and suffers somewhat as a result. The story premise itself also struck me as odd - the turtles can't take turns wearing the hat? has sharing really become such an unusual activity amongst children (or turtles)? Others will no doubt feel differently, but this one just didn't live up to my expectations, given its creator's generally excellent output. show less

We Found A Hat
(Hat Trilogy #3)
by Jon Klassen
What a delightful, humorous book even though it has the simplest of art and very minimal words. Each are used wisely and perfectly! The book made me smile! I can see why it's so popular with kids!

We Found a Hat is a simple and affecting story about friendship and empathy. I love the art, Klassen's desert landscapes are melancholy and beautiful. The turtles express so much emotion just through the movement of their big black and white eyeballs, guilt, envy, trepidation. With the hat on their heads, and their assertion that "you look very good in that hat," the book me laugh aloud in the bookstore. The dream vision of the turtles flying through space, each with their own hat, made me tear up and sniffle a little, no joke.

I think kids would like this story and the cute turtles (I did), and it provokes some thought about the value of friendship over possessions.

Jon Klassen seems to have a knack for the understated, the sparse, the hidden meanings when he puts forth his gems of children's books.

When I reviewed I Want My Hat Back and Sam and Dave Dig A Hole I was surprised at the simplicity of his illustrations and yet they seemed to grab your attention and shout, "I'm not simple, I'm simply understated." Again in We Found A Hat Klassen has taken the simple palette of neutrals - browns, black, and white to show how two friends or companions act when they find a hat.

One hat. Two companions or friends. As in much of life, the telling is in the eyes and so it is when one friend really, really likes and wants the hat.

Who will enjoy this children's book? Well, the dry, understated humor and art work show more will appeal to the sophisticated adult and the cuteness of the story and the illustrations will appeal to kids. Usually, kid's books are explosions of brilliant or perhaps pastel colors. Klassen shows how a simple palette works equally as well.

I recommend this for libraries and homes where you enjoy subtle humor, simplicity and understated story and art.

I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick to facilitate this review of my own opinions. I was not compensated. Winner's giveaway copy is provided and shipped by Candlewick directly to the winner. show less