the bear’s hat is gone, he wants it back. patiently politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. but just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory renews his search with a vengeance. told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor — winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.