This Is Not My Hat
Written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Publisher’s Summary:
When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.

Primary Source Pairing:
Jon Klassen is quoted as saying “I like a story that allows the viewer to wander around a little bit and find it on their own” (PictureBookMakers.com). And that is just what readers can do in the book This Is Not My Hat. As we follow the little fish through the book, we can guess the inevitable as the big fish, the rightful owner of the hat, catches up. For this primary source pairing, invite students to study an ocean food chain diagram. This pairs with the curriculum for grades talking about predator and prey, and producers and consumers.

Alternatively, invite students to compare and contrast Jon Klassen’s three books: This Is Not My Hat, I Want My Hat Back, and We Found a Hat. How are these books similar? How are they different? What could be the next book in this series by Jon Klassen? Write or Tweet him the ideas.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• How are the ocean animals arranged?
• What other details can you see?
• What can you learn by studying this diagram?
• What questions do have while studying this diagram?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Ocean Food Chain: Major Differences