While taking a leisurely nap, a big fish has his hate stolen by a little fish, who tries to quickly escapt the scene and hid in tall grass. He mistakenly thinks that he won’t be caught because the crab won’t tell on him and the big fish won’t know where to go. In the end, his sneakiness doesn’t lead to the end he had hoped.
- Visual Element
- Shape
- The dominant shape in this story is an oval. The fish are different size ovals, all of the plants are ovals, and even the crab is sort of oval shaped. Shapes create movement , as stated in the textbook. Throughout the course of the book, the little fish is moving away from the big fish and his body shape of an oval expresses that. The big fish, after realizing his hat is missing, also has an oval shaped body and moves in the same direction. the plants ovals are pointing in different directions, mimicking the movement of underwater plants as the current moves. The shape movement also mirrors the movement of the plot.
- Evaluative Element
- Style
- The repetitive wording of the text creates a distinct style and attitude. The small fish seems cocky, yet intelligent. The illustrations create even more of a distinct style. The black background represents the depths of the ocean, but based on the plants the little fish goes into, the ocean should be much brighter. I believe the author choose black to symbolize the negative action of the fish. Also, the author’s use of shapes reveal a unique style. Even more unique is the author’s choice to not have the large fish and the crab speak, but instead to reveal their conversations and emotions through the illustrations, thus allowing the reader to make inferences.
Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Boston, MA: Candlewick.
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