Book Series · 3 Books

The Hat Trilogy Books

In order from I Want My Hat Back to We Found a Hat.

Jon Klassen's three minimalist picture books follow animals who want, take, search for, and share hats. Spare words and revealing glances invite children to notice what the characters do not say aloud.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated August 13, 2026

Reading order

How to Read the Hat Trilogy

Read I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat in publication order. The stories do not share a continuing plot, but the emotional progression moves from wanting and taking a hat toward choosing friendship over possession.

Sources: Candlewick: Jon Klassen's Hat Box, Candlewick: We Found a Hat.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

These deceptively simple read-alouds rely on visual inference. Children can study eyes, posture, and page turns to work out motives and consequences, making the books especially good for talking about honesty, fairness, empathy, and what pictures reveal beyond the words.

The first two books end with an animal implied to have been eaten after taking a hat; nothing graphic is shown, and the dark outcome is delivered through deadpan suggestion. We Found a Hat is gentler and resolves its temptation through friendship.

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Sale price

$1797

Book #1 · Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2011

I Want My Hat Back

By Jon Klassen

A rabbit's hat goes missing and they search for it, asking various animals for help.

40 pages· 253 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

4.3/7 Bookroo

$18.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Summary: A bear's hat is missing, and he's determined to find it. As he politely questions each animal he meets, hope fades until a deer's simple query reignites his memory. With renewed vigor, the bear's search takes a surprising turn. This playful tale, told entirely through dialogue and clever illustrations, invites readers to join in the fun and uncover the truth behind the bear's missing hat.

In reading order