Some books for kids are the most fun for adults as well.
In my opinion, the best picture books are the ones in which the pictures and the words are adding up to something more than the sum of their parts. It’s where the illustrations aren’t just depicting the story, and the words aren’t just describing the pictures.
Jon Klassen’s new picture book I Want My Hat Back is such a book. It’s the story of a bear and his missing hat.
The bear, as seen on the cover, visits various animals to see if they’ve seen his hat. He (and all of the animals) tend to have this deadpan expression the whole time, which gives the book a slow, solemn tone … until the bear remembers where he’s seen his hat.
I read this to my kids, and they absolutely loved it. And honestly, maybe I loved it even more..
