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Edition 58 (2013) Winner
Jon Klassen
ジョン・クラスセン
Jon Klassen
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1981-11-29 （Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada）
- Nationality
- Canada
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Mennonite
- Residence History
- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada → Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada → Toronto, Ontario, Canada → Los Angeles, California, United States
Career
- Occupations
- illustrator, writer, animator
- Active Years
- 2005-2024
- Nominations
- Geisel Award runner-up (I Want My Hat Back), Kate Greenaway Medal shortlists
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan College | — | Animation | — | — | Canada |
Sheridan College
Animation
Year of Graduation:
2005
Country:
Canada
Studied animation and graduated
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Cats' Night Out | — | Canada Council for the Arts | Winner |
| 2013 | Caldecott Honor | Extra Yarn | — | Association for Library Service to Children | Honor |
| 2013 | Caldecott Medal | This Is Not My Hat | — | Association for Library Service to Children | Winner |
| 2014 | Kate Greenaway Medal | This Is Not My Hat | — | CILIP | Winner |
Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration
2010
Work:
Cats' Night Out
Organization:
Canada Council for the Arts
Result:
Winner
Caldecott Honor
2013
Work:
Extra Yarn
Organization:
Association for Library Service to Children
Result:
Honor
Caldecott Medal
2013
Work:
This Is Not My Hat
Organization:
Association for Library Service to Children
Result:
Winner
Kate Greenaway Medal
2014
Work:
This Is Not My Hat
Organization:
CILIP
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Randolph Caldecott Medal
1 appearances
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Edition 76 (2013) Winner
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Edition 58 (2014) Winner
Works
Major Works
I Want My Hat Back
2011 Children's picture bookA bear searches for his stolen hat, with a twist revealed in the illustrations.
hatshumortwist endings
This Is Not My Hat
2012 Children's picture bookA small fish steals a big fish's hat; the illustrations reveal the unspoken ending.
hatsdeceptionvisual storytelling
We Found a Hat
2016 Children's picture bookConclusion to the hat trilogy: two turtles find a hat and face a moral dilemma.
hatsfriendshipmorality
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
2014 Children's picture bookSam and Dave dig endlessly; illustrations show treasures they miss.
explorationmissing the obviousvisual humor
The Rock from the Sky
2021 Children's picture bookAnimals foresee a rock falling from the sky.
precognitionhumorfriendship
Bibliography
- I Want My Hat Back
- This Is Not My Hat
- We Found a Hat
- The Rock from the Sky
- The Skull
- Cats' Night Out
- Extra Yarn
- Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
- The Dark
Translations of Works
- Hat books translated into 22 languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- minimal narrationillustration-driven storytellingexpressive eyesdeadpan humor
- Recurring Motifs
- hatsanthropomorphic animalsunrevealed twistsmoral ambiguity
Legacy
Renowned children's book illustrator and author. First to win Caldecott Medal and Kate Greenaway Medal for the same work (This Is Not My Hat). Hat trilogy exceeded 1 million sales worldwide. Background in animation.
In Popular Culture
- Hat books inspired internet memes
Quotes
-
Making a book, you're kind of going out on a limb in the belief that what you think of as a satisfying story is the same as what other people think of as a satisfying story. This doesn't mean everything in the story turns out alright for everybody, but you, as a storyteller, try and make sure it ends the way the story should end.
Source: Kate Greenaway Medal acceptance speech (2014)
Trivia
- Mennonite background
- Worked as animator on Kung Fu Panda and Coraline
- Hat trilogy on NYT Bestseller list for over 40 weeks
- Member of the Order of Canada