The Woodcutter's Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Tale (Books for Young Readers) [Paperback]

Loek Koopmans (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Books for Young Readers

This is the story of a magical mitten that becomes the home for a whole bunch of forest animals on a cold winter morning. This new home, however, turns out to be the lost property of an old woodcutter. How the woodcutter recovers his mitten ends this delightful and funny winter story which is based on an old Ukrainian folktale.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspired by the same Russian folktale that served as the foundation for Jan Brett's The Mitten , Koopmans describes what happens when a woodcutter walking through a snowy forest loses his mitten: it becomes home to a mouse, a frog, a rabbit, a fox, a boar and a bear, expanding to accommodate each new denizen. Unfortunately, this version lacks the visual and narrative flourishes that crown Brett's, which is hands down the superior Mitten . Here each spread is static, with action depicted only in the center foreground; despite the wintry theme, most of the colors, including the snow's whites, are warm. The text, too, is repetitious and falsely toasty, with the animals introduced as Mistress Mouse, Frog Limpyleg, Rabbit Fast-on-Foot, Fox Goldenfur, etc., and speaking all-too-sweetly to one another ("Let's see!" the aforementioned quartet choruses to Boar Flatnose. "If we cuddle together, maybe we can fit you in"). The woodcutter's mitten may stretch wildly, but Koopmans's storytelling merely strains. Ages 2-7.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kane Miller Book Pub (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566561760
• ISBN-13: 978-1566561761
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,387,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVELY BOOK, February 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Woodcutter's Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Tale (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

This traditional tale is given new life in a beautifully illustrated book. As the snow deepens, the animals, who have clever names, snuggle together inside the mitten that was dropped by the old woodcutter. When he discovers his mitten is missing, he sets out in search of it. But...it is filled with animals! How does he manage to get his mitten back? You'll have to read the story!

5.0 out of 5 stars A WALK IN THE SNOW, November 18, 2000

By 

"hurburgh" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Woodcutter's Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Tale (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

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Would you believe a mouse, a frog, a hare, a fox, a wild boar and a huge bear could all fit inside a woollen mitten?

If you read this book, you might just believe it's possible.

This is a classic northern European children's tale. This version is retold by Polly Lawson, and is an English version of the German title " Ein Marchen im Schnee".

The appeal of this book is in the subtle and charming illustrations done by Loek Koopmans.

As each animal (in order of size and incredibility) is invited to shelter in the warmth of the mitten, the snowfall becomes heavier and heavier. When the bear appears the snow is almost a blizzard.

It is the woodcutter's little dog who finds his master's lost mitten and sees all the animals inside.

The snow has stopped. The animals leave when the little dog barks. The old man arrives. If only the little dog could talk.