If you’ve spent any time in the children’s section of a bookstore lately, you’ve seen Jon Klassen’s work. He’s the guy who draws animals with slightly suspicious, side-eyeing expressions. We Found a Hat is the third book in his "Hat Trilogy."

The plot is deceptively simple: Two turtles find a hat. It looks good on both of them. But there is only one hat and there are two turtles.

Most children’s books would solve this with a "fair" compromise—maybe they take turns, or they give the hat to a third party. But Klassen doesn't do "easy." He lets the tension sit there. One turtle is ready to move on; the other turtle is clearly obsessed. The story unfolds in three parts, moving from the discovery to a sunset to a dream sequence that is arguably one of the most moving endings in modern picture book history.

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We’ve all been there. You’re at a playdate, and your kid is white-knuckling a plastic truck like it’s the last scrap of food on a desert island. The "mine!" phase isn't just a toddler being a jerk; it’s a developmental milestone where they are figuring out boundaries, ownership, and the concept of "self" versus "other."

In the digital world, this manifests differently. Maybe it’s two siblings fighting over who gets the iPad to play Roblox, or a kid refusing to share their "world" in Minecraft.

We Found a Hat works because it doesn't pretend that giving something up is easy. It acknowledges that the turtle really wants that hat. It validates the desire while showing that the friendship—the "we"—is ultimately more valuable than the "it."

Klassen is a master of "show, don't tell." The text might say "We are both walking away from the hat," but the illustrations show one turtle staring longingly back at it. Kids find this hilarious because they recognize that internal struggle. It’s the same look they give the "forbidden" candy aisle at Target.

In an era of Skibidi Toilet and high-frequency sensory overload on YouTube, this book is a deliberate slow-down. The colors are muted, the dialogue is sparse, and the pacing is meditative. It forces a child to look at the characters' eyes to understand the story. It’s active consumption rather than passive scrolling.

The ending is ethereal. Without spoiling it, the turtles "share" the hat in a dream where they both have one and they are both flying through space. It teaches kids that sometimes the resolution to a conflict isn't a physical one, but an emotional shift in perspective.

Check out our guide on why slow-paced media is better for developing brains

If you haven't read the first two books, you should know they are a bit... darker.

We Found a Hat is the redemption arc. It’s the "good" ending. If your family is sensitive to "off-screen" consequences, start with this one. If your kids have a dark sense of humor (most do), get the whole set.

When you finish the book, don't just close it and turn out the light. Try these prompts:

These conversations translate directly to digital habits. If they’re fighting over Minecraft skins or who gets to use the Nintendo Switch, you can reference the turtles. "Are we being 'one hat' turtles right now?"

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We Found a Hat is a 10/10. It’s rare to find a book that respects a child's ability to sit with a complicated feeling. It doesn’t offer a magical third hat; it offers a way for two friends to exist in a world where you can't always have what you want.

In a digital landscape designed to give kids instant gratification (looking at you, Fortnite battle passes), this book is a necessary, beautiful speed bump.

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