November is a great time to discuss and explore Jon Klassen books because his birthday falls then, but really you can do this any time of the year. This post shares Jon Klassen books and activities that you can use for this purpose. All of the picture books on this list lend themselves to this topic really well. Take a peek below to learn more about these Jon Klassen books and activities!
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen tells the story of a bear who lost his hat. He loves his hat and desperately wants it back. He asks several other animals in the forest if they have seen it. Unfortunately they haven’t. Bear even asks a rabbit wearing a red hat if they’ve seen his hat, and the rabbit gets very angry.
After asking the animals, the bear is so sad that no one has seen his hat, and lays down on the ground. A helpful deer approaches and asks the bear what his hat looks like. As bear describes his hat, he realizes that he has seen it! He runs back to the rabbit and takes his beloved hat back.
Students will enjoy reading about the bear’s journey to find his hat! Check out these I Want My Hat Back teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen
There are two turtles- and they find a hat. But, only one hat. The hat looks good on both of them. Since there is only one, they decide to leave it. Through beautifully drawn illustrations, we can infer that both turtles think of the hat. When one turtle sneaks off to get it, the other shares a dream where both of them are wearing hats. The turtle realizes it is better that neither of them have it, than just one.
This silly story is broken into three parts and uses simple language to evoke sympathy and the importance of compromise. Check out these We Found a Hat teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
Grab the Free Reading Resources!
In closing, we hope you found this list of Jon Klassen books and activities helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
