The Mitten

My fabulous 4th grade friend is here to help me convince you to read The Mitten by author/illustrator Jan Brett. If you've ever read a Jan Brett story, you won't need convincing - her books are delightful works of art!

I had the opportunity to attend an author visit in El Dorado Hills, California during her Mossy tour  (I posted a bit about it here) and she was as wonderful as you have always imagined that she would be - she even did a drawing lesson with the children in the audience.

The Mitten is Brett's retelling of a Ukrainian folktale about a boy, Sasha, who insists that his Baba knit him white mittens. She resists, telling him that it is too easy for white mittens to get lost in the snow. He persists, and Baba creates the white mittens. Of course, he loses one almost the minute he walks out the door and that's where the fun begins.

A host of animals, each larger than the last, take shelter inside the mitten. Sasha finds his mitten before he returns home and doesn't seem to notice how much larger it is than the other one, but Baba notices. One of my favorite parts of the final page is Baba holding up both mittens, clearly wondering what Sasha could possibly have done to stretch one out so badly.

As you read the story, take time to examine the illustrations! Each frame hints at what will come next, and children will delight in noticing how oblivious Sasha is when he is right by his mitten. When I read this aloud, I enjoy emphasizing the ways that each animal intimidates the others into making room for him in the mitten.

There is so much colorful detail, packed with opportunities for children to predict, infer, and most of all, enjoy this humorous folktale.

Once you've read The Mitten, go get The Hat, The Easter Egg, Mossy, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Gingerbread Friends - you get the idea ;) Have a Jan Brett extravaganza!

I've opened a TPT store and have posted several Story Time lesson plans - perfect for Pre-K, Kindergarten, homeschool, library story times, and any other situation in which you find youself with a group of young children. If you would like to see the lesson plan for The Mitten - click here.