It’s the most subtle endorsement of murder you’ll ever find. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books This is a familiar picture-book formula with a twist, and the minimalist style Klassen employs with both text and art only emphasizes the humor of the situation.While these design choices and the simplicity and pattern of the text would make this a good choice for beginning readers, it would also make an amusing readaloud or a great little readers’ theater piece. The joy of this book lies in figuring out the explicit plot from the implicit details in the pictures, especially a few wordless ones.Ī coterie of woodland animals is drawn in a minimalistic style and a palette of browns with a splash of red.

I really love him.įour pages into this charmer, every kindergartner will know where the bear’s missing hat is - but they’ll never predict the hilarious revenge he takes on the thief.Ī sly picture book.Young readers and listeners will love being in on the joke, making them appreciate the story's humor even more. But the bear in this book paws down he’s got to be the dimmest, most slow-witted, brilliantly stupid bear to come along in years. You know, bears may stand for adults in some way, because they’re big, they’re ungainly, they’re goofy. Indubitably hip, this will find plenty of admirers. Adults and older children will chuckle mordantly at rabbit's sudden disappearance, while young children might actually wonder, with Squirrel, where the rabbit has gone. Klassen's animation and design skills are evident on every page in this sly, subversive tale. Read aloud, this story will offer many sublime insights into how young readers comprehend an illustrated text that leaves out vital information, and will leave young sleuths reeling with theories about what just happened. A charmingly wicked little book.ĭeliberately understated, with delectable results… Skillful characterizations though they're simply drawn and have little to say, each animal emerges fully realized. A marvelous book in the true dictionary sense of “marvel': it is a wonderful and astonishing thing, the kind of book that makes child laugh and adult chuckle, and both smile in appreciation.

I want my hat back series