Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The children’s author and illustrator Shirley Hughes chooses her top five picture books


Shirley Hughes: a child in time

Shirley Hughes

Shirley Hughes 

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)

This must be one of the simplest yet most original and entertaining picture books around at the moment. The bear’s hat is gone and he wants it back. He seeks it in the time-honoured manner through several confrontations. We may have spotted the hat, but very few of us will be prepared for the deadpan ending. This is an author-illustrator who takes you from page to page with a dry humour which matches his story perfectly. He also knows well that sparingly uncluttered images often make for a more arresting narrative. Even the very young can enjoy the joke. 

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