Awards

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book celebrates outstanding books, authors, and literary achievement through four signature awards: The Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Best Books for Family Literacy, The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, and Pennsylvania Great Reads from Great Places. Together, these programs recognize excellence in family literacy, children’s poetry, graphic novels, and books that reflect Pennsylvania’s rich literary heritage. By honoring exceptional literary works and connecting readers with engaging and meaningful stories, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book promotes lifelong reading, literacy, and a love of literature across the Commonwealth and beyond.

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I Want My Hat Back

By Jon Klassen
Published by Candlewick Press, 2011
Young Readers

Bear has lost his hat and he wants it back. “Have you seen my hat?” he asks animal after animal.  Sadly, no one has seen his hat, until a suspiciously crowned rabbit appears on the scene. Perhaps the bear knows where his hat went after all!  Children and adults will enjoy the humor in this simply drawn, engaging tale.

I Want My Hat Back

Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards

Baker's Dozen 2012 Winner

Book Activities & Discussion Ideas

Tips for Using with Children

Invite children to create their own hats with newspaper, construction paper, and other found materials. Encourage the children to make their hats unique and describe them so that if the teacher/adult hid them, they could find their own. During the hide and seek, ask the chidlren, “Did you get your hat back?”

Tips for Using with Families

Talk to parents about the importance of visual literacy as an important aspect of early literacy learning. Good readers look for clues in the pictures to help understand the words. Even the colored words in the text help the reader to understand which character is talking on each page. The red background color on the page where the bear realizes he HAS seen his hat is a clue to the mystery of the missing hat.  Children will want to “hear and see” this story again and again.