The Mitten [Hardcover]

Jan Brett (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing.

One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.

As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the boarders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on.

Once again Jan Brett has created a dramatic and beautiful picture book in her distinctive style. She brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition from which the story comes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that! What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox. If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway." When a tiny mouse squeezes in, her whiskers tickle the bear's nose. He sneezes, and "Aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!" all the animals fly out of their crocheted cave. As the mitten sails through the air, Nicki spots it, reclaims it, and takes it home to show his smiling Baba.

Jan Brett is the illustrator of many well-known folktales, fairy tales, and poems, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear. Her special signature in her detailed artwork is the intricate borders, seen in this book as birch-bark panels with embroidered details and mitten-shaped vignettes offering additional insights into the story line. Brett is at her best when she illustrates animals, and the expressions on the faces of her creatures are a delight. She carefully researched the costumes, furniture, and house in this traditional Ukrainian tale--all are authentic. A fine story to read on a frosty night with a cup of hot chocolate, and if you ever get your fill of The Mitten, you can always try its delightfully original companion book, The Hat, winner of the 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. (Ages 4 to 8)

From Publishers Weekly

Baba, Nicki's grandmother, knits pure white mittens for him, even though she is afraid that he will lose them in the snow. Sure enough, the first time Nicki is out, he drops one and some animals promptly move into its snug wool interior. First comes a mole, then a rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a bear and, finally, a mouse. That mouse tickles the bear's nose and he sneezes, dislodging all of the animals at once. Nicki finds his mitten, and takes it home, but Baba is left to wonder about how it became so enormously stretched out. Brett's magnificent paintings feature her usual array of folk details, and this time, intricate knitting tracks, ornate embroidery, the crusty, peeling texture of the birch bark borders and the exquisite patterns found in Baba's homey rooms. Readers will sit back, suspend belief and welcome this tall tale from the Ukrainian tradition. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (October 5, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039921920X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399219207
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 10.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural

More About the Author

Jan Brett is the author of the New York Times bestselling Gingerbread Friends, The Three Snow Bears, and The Mitten, as well as many other classics. She lives in Norwell, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations, but this re-telling kills the beauty in the story, April 17, 2008

By 

TES "Miss-Ing-Manhattan" (Sparta, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mitten (Hardcover)

I ordered this because I was having difficulty finding the original THE MITTEN from my childhood. This re-telling kills the beautiful original message of giving and sharing. In the original, the cricket invites all of the animals into the mitten out of kindness--it's the coldest day of the winter and she feels sorry for them. In this version, each of the animals feels "bullied" into letting the next animal in out of fear. Ugly! And what a terrible message in this day and age, when bullying is such an issue. I would never recommend this book when the original is still available. And something about the simpler drawings in the original allows the story to truly shine, as it should. This version is pretty, but hollow.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book to share, January 11, 2009

By 

P. M. Campbell (Sevierville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mitten (Hardcover)

The lush illustrations in this book offer a wonderful chance for an adult to share time studying them with a youngster. Readers can feel the frosty air of the forest, smell the wood smoke in the fireplace, and hear the footfalls of wild creatures as they examine each page. So, bundle up, nestle down, and read this with someone young--even if it's just your inner child, you'll both be very satisfied by this lovely story and its mezmerizing pictures.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mitten, October 22, 2009

By 

Janice A. Rust "Books4U" (El Cajon,, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mitten 20th Anniversary Edition (Hardcover)

I keep buying this book for ME and giving it away when children love it that visit. I bought this one for my Grandson for Christmas who is 18 months. We have this book in 3 languages at my border Middle school. I have purchased all her books for the Library. The students, parents and teachers love them. JR