I was perusing the children's book section in WHSmith looking for a gift, when I came across this brilliant little number. This Is Not My Hat is about a little fish that steals a big fish's hat, and tries to get away with it. It caught my eye due to the dainty and rare image making which (to me) make the book. The illustrator come writer, Jon Klassen, is known for his humorous and textured illustration work which really come alive in this publication.
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| The books front cover |
The
Century Schoolbook typeface is a perfect fit for both of Klassen's illustrations and its audience.
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| Where has his hat gone?! |
My favourite section of the book is when the big fish notices that its teeny hat has gone missing. As you turn the pages his eyes do all the talking, and I think we all feel like the last expression shown above from time to time.
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| The little fish and it's new hat |
Most of the story is layed out over double page spreads. This gives the images a sense of depth, like that of the big black abyss in which these creatures live. The large fish fills most of the pages, giving him a wonderful sense of scale in comparison to his tiny thief.
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| "Where the plants are big and tall and close together!" |
I absolutely love the underwater plant patterns that Jon has created for the book. They are present within the story and on the books inside cover. Klassen integrates texture brilliantly into his images, producing gentle illustrations.
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| The books back cover |
As I said above, I was looking for a gift. This is the gift. I am almost sad to give it away.
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