THIS IS NOT MY HAT by Jon Klassen

A little fish steals a big fish's hat and all along, he thinks he is getting away with it, but the reader knows better.  Klassen's "This Is Not My Hat," is a brilliant work of comedic pacing.  With a mastery of the picture book format, each of the sixteen spreads depicts an underwater world with water color cutouts on an all black background.  The story unfolds as a first-person narrative by a little thieving fish who is overly confident that he has gotten away with a crime.  The text rides high above the images, allowing the reader to follow the visual action of the story, which is at odds with what the little fish believes is happening.  The little fish describes the getaway, noting that the big fish "probably won't wake up for a long time," as the reader can't help but notice the big fish's eyes pop open wide. Klassen builds suspense with dark colors and flecks of white to show underwater bubbles that trail the fish, as a slow chase ensues. The simple and comedic expressions on the annoyed big fish and a wordless crab as a would-be accomplice ensures laugh-out loud moments. The story reaches a climax in three quiet spreads where the big fish catches up to the little fish with entertaining results.  This delightful book is perfect for lap-time hilarity and is sure to dissolve a room of read-aloud listeners into fits of gasps, hoots, and giggles. A lively conversation is sure to follow.  The assumption is made that the little fish is male, as the pronoun "he" is used for both the big fish and the crab.  The inclusion of "she" for either character would be a thoughtful improvement.

(Print picture book, fiction, age 5-9)