By Jan Brett
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1989
Picture book, 32 pages, ages 1-5
Jan Brett’s retelling of a Ukrainian folk tale opens with a boy asking his grandmother to knit him white mittens. “You’ll only lose them in the snow,” Grandmother objects, but the boy insists he won’t and she makes a pair of snowy white mittens. When she sends the boy off to play, she warns him to make sure to come back with the mittens. Of course, the first thing that happens is the boy takes the mittens off and loses one. It’s found by a mole, who thinks it’s the perfect place to nap on a cold winter day and crawls right in. Then a rabbit bounds by and wiggles in. Next comes a hedgehog and decides to crawl in as well … and with its prickles, the other two aren’t going to argue! Five more animals come along, each deciding that it’s the perfect spot for them – the mitten is stretched all out of proportion and it doesn’t seem like one more could fit, but miraculously everyone does. But how will everyone get out? And what happens when the boy discovers that he’s missing a mitten?
This is a gorgeously illustrated book full of intricate borders and details. The retelling has a warm, old-fashioned voice, and care was taken to depict Ukrainian culture and living. Most of the action in the illustrations takes place within the borders; the mitten-shaped insets add to the storytelling. There is humor and absurdity, a lot of love and atmosphere, and a little bit of drama.
Even though this book is over 30 years old, it’s still in print and still on recommended reading lists. It’s nostalgic. It’s a little slower paced than more recently-published books, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a good story. Fans of folktales and fairy tales will love this book.
A cozy winter folk tale.
The Mitten by Jan Brett receives 5 stars from this reviewer.