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Product Description
From Amazon
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.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Once there was a boy named Nicki who wanted his new mittens made from wool as white as snow. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Once there was a boy named Nicki who wanted his new mittens made from wool as white as snow. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Adaptation of a Classic Ukrainian Folktale Artistically Illustrated by Jan Brett--A Visual Delight in a Coffee-Table Edition!,
By Yaroslava Benko "Mandrivnyk" (Arlington Heights, IL - USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Mitten (Hardcover)
As American Library Association, Booklist Magazine Best Children's Books of the 1980s and New Yorker Magazine Best Children's Books 1989, The Mitten continues to delight the young and the young at heart worldwide with its story, which is based on an ancient, popular Ukrainian classic folktale, and continues to be handed down generation to generation not only in Ukraine, but also worldwide. This handsome 1989 coffee-table edition with delightful illustrations by acclaimed, award-winning illustrator Jan Brett is an artistic adaptation which depicts not only the distinctive Ukrainian colorful costumes and artistic motifs, but also adheres to the Ukrainian spirit by utilizing text which Ukrainian characters would speak. This edition of The Mitten places the reader in a uniquely Ukrainian environ while retelling the enchanting, enthralling, enjoyable tale to today's toddlers, who are sure to enjoy it as much as toddlers did in days of yore.Recommended for ages 4-8, The Mitten is a picture book based on a favorite Ukrainian folktale, a classic children's story handed down through the generations, which teaches about friendship and sharing. This Ukrainian folktale is so popular, in fact, that not only various versions of the book are sold, but finger puppets, and interactive CD-ROMs are also available. In this adaptation by Jan Brett, the mitten's owner is a young Ukrainian boy named Nicki who asks his grandmother, Baba, to make him a pair of white mittens. At first his Baba is reluctant to knit them in white since she says that if dropped on snow, they'll be difficult to find. But Nicki persists, and eventually his Baba knits him a pair of warm, white mittens. Not long after, while playing, Nicki inadvertently leaves behind one of his warm, white mittens. The first animal to discover the warmth of the white mitten is a mole, followed by a snowshoe rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, and a meadow mouse, who makes herself comfortable atop the big bear's nose. The bear, tickled by the whiskers of the minute mouse, gives a stupendous sneeze, which sends the warm, white mitten together with all of its occupants into the sky, scattering the animals helter-skelter. Returning home, Nicki sees in the distance a snow-white shape, which is his lost mitten silhouetted against the sky. As he runs to it and catches his mitten, he notices Baba's face in the window. She's pleased that he's safe and sound and that he still has his warm, white mittens. A fun part of reading this story is that a mitten shape appears on each page and within that mitten is a prelude of what will ensue in the tale, making the story simple to follow. Sundry variations of this story abound as authors retell the tale of the mitten with animals and storylines that vary with each retelling. This 1989 excellent edition published by G. P. Putnam's Sons is very aptly adapted and interestingly illustrated by Jan Brett, a best-selling American author/illustrator of children's books. Among her many awards, Ms. Brett is recipient of the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2010 and Boston Public Library's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and her books have been chosen as "Best Children's Books of the Year" by The New Yorker, Parents magazine, Newsweek, and Redbook and have appeared on numerous Best Seller Lists. Anyone opening the cover of The Mitten will undoubtedly understand why Jan Brett has received the awards and her books continue to be so very popular with the public. In fact, The Mitten, is among her four best-known titles, which include The Hat, The Three Snow Bears, and Gingerbread Baby. The front and back jacket art by Jan Brett depicts the characters from the folktale. A special touch throughout is the mitten which appears on each page and within that mitten are depictions of ensuing dialogue from The Mitten. A very hearty five stars plus for a handsome coffee-table edition picture book which is illustrated artistically and delivers the ethnicity of Ukrainian folklore excellently. The Mitten is sure to be a continued favorite of not only the toddler, but also adults who are young at heart, as well. Addendum: Children may enjoy other books on Ukrainian topics, which I've reviewed--many of them have images taken by me in Ukraine. There are currently over twenty books listed on my Listmania list entitled, "Children's Corner--for the Young and the Young at Heart..." Sometimes, there are several editions of one book, so be sure to find the ones with a review by Mandrivnyk. To learn more about things Ukrainian, visit the Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Readers, you're also invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos (with notes) that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order. To visit my reviews on the USA site: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted. Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject. Additionally, both kids and adults will find it to be enjoyable and educational to learn the names and locations of the regions/oblasts of Ukraine and test their knowledge by solving the Interactive Puzzle map. Please see my comment below this review on the USA site for further information. Moreover, to view excellent slideshows of the 25 regions (24 oblasts and one autonomous republic) of Ukraine (you may even set the length of the slideshow), please see my comment below this review on the USA site.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Mitten,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Mitten (Hardcover)
The story of the Mitten begins when a boy named Nicki begs Baba to sew him white, wool mittens. After she finished, the boy went to play with them. Baba said that when he got home, she would check to see if he was alright, then see if he still had the new mittens. Soon, Nicki dropped one of his mittens and lost it. Many different animals found the mitten to be a good place to rest. At the end, Nicki finds his mitten and returns home. The only thing, is that one mitten is four times bigger then the other.I really enjoyed the book, The Mitten. It was always may favorite when I was a young child. The story really kept my attention, and I could follow it very easily. I liked all the different types of animals. I though the story was very good, and I'm sure you would too.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Book to Treasure,
By
This review is from: The Mitten (Hardcover)
...the illustrations in this book are beautiful and detailed. When a boy looses his mitten in the snow, forest animals try to make their abode in it. This folktale is whimsical and a great addition to any child's collection of good books.
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