I Want My Hat Back
Verdict: Niche Perfection | Parent Survival: 9/10
Here is a book that will make you laugh, make your child laugh, and then make you exchange a worried glance with your partner because did that just happen?
A bear has lost his hat. He asks various animals if they’ve seen it. They all say no. One of them is lying.
The bear figures it out.
The ending is not gentle.
The Setup
The bear’s hat is missing. He’s sad about it. He asks a fox, a frog, a rabbit, a turtle, a snake, and an armadillo if they’ve seen it. Each animal responds. The bear thanks them politely and moves on.
This is all delivered with Jon Klassen’s signature deadpan illustration style: simple, stark, with animals who make direct eye contact with the reader like they’re in The Office.
The Rabbit
One of the animals—the rabbit—is wearing a red pointy hat.
“Have you seen my hat?” asks the bear.
“No,” says the rabbit. “I haven’t seen any hats anywhere. I would not steal a hat. Don’t ask me any more questions.”
The rabbit is sweating.
If you’re an adult, you clock this immediately. If you’re a child, you might not. Either way, the bear doesn’t notice and keeps walking.
The Ending (No Spoilers, But Also Spoilers)
The bear eventually realizes the rabbit had his hat. He goes back.
The final pages show the bear wearing his hat.
The rabbit is not there anymore.
A deer asks the bear if he’s seen a rabbit.
“No,” says the bear. “I haven’t seen any rabbits anywhere. I would not eat a rabbit. Don’t ask me any more questions.”
That’s how the book ends.
Why This Works
Kids generally don’t register what happened. They see: bear lost hat, bear found hat, the end. They like the repetition. They like the deadpan animals. They like that the bear got his hat back.
Adults see: the bear ate the rabbit.
It’s not explicit. Klassen never shows anything gruesome. But the parallel structure makes it unmistakable. The bear lied. The rabbit is gone. You can do the maths.
The genius is in the restraint. Klassen trusts kids to enjoy the surface story while giving adults something darker to chew on. The illustrations are sparse and muted—lots of empty space, lots of direct eye contact. Every animal looks slightly uncomfortable, like they know they’re being watched. It’s funny and unsettling in equal measure.
Best For
Ages 3-6. Kids who appreciate repetition and silly. Adults who like their children’s books with a little edge. Fans of picture books that trust kids to handle ambiguity (and trust adults to handle subtext).
The Sequels: This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat complete Klassen’s hat trilogy. Same deadpan energy. Same willingness to go dark. All excellent.
Also Try: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Klassen. Similar vibes. Equally unsettling if you think about it too hard.
Buy it here (Affiliate link. Hat recovery fund.)