Has anyone else called Jon Klassen the Lemony Snicket of picture books? I tried googling it to find out, but since Klassen illustrated one of Snicket's books (The Dark, which doesn't come out until next April), I got nowhere.

Klassen hit the big-time with his earlier title, I Want My Hat Back, in which a bear goes in search of his missing hat. And (spoiler alert) it would appear that he eats the thief.

Klassen is back with a follow-up title of sorts, This Is Not My Hat, which is narrated by a small fish who has stolen a hat from a Very Big Fish. The little fish is pretty certain that he's going to get away with it, since the big fish was asleep when the perpetrator stole the hat. If you've read I Want My Hat Back, you'd be less sanguine than the fish, and when you see the slant-eyed look that the big fish gives as he follows the thief's trail, you'd know the jig was probably up.



I refer to Jon Klassen as the Lemony Snicket of picture books for the wry, funny and yes, dark, content of his works. They are witty and smart and beautifully rendered. And this book is decidedly worth your time, as long as you aren't looking for a happily-ever-after for all the characters.