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review

Klassen's understated, hilarious, dark and deadpan hat books (I Want My Hat Back and This is Not My Hat) have long been a highlight in children's literature. Though he frequently collaborates as an artist for picture books and middle-grade novels, he's at his best when illustrating his own stories, squeezing out every bit of creepy humour at his own pace. The conclusion to his hat trilogy takes place in a gorgeous desert landscape. Two turtles – one sweet, one calculating, both dopey – find a hat that seemingly doesn't belong to anyone. They both try it on, and, after realizing that there is no possible way to pick who gets to keep a hat that looks equally awesome on both, they decide to leave the hat alone and go to sleep. One of the turtles, however, has another plan. Those who have read and loved the previous two books in the hat series might assume they know how this one will end, but Klassen proves once again he can still surprise with a finale – even if this one is coming a turtle's pace away.

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