The Mitten

The Mitten

Adapted and Illustrated by Jan Brett

Published in 1989

Grade Level: 1st-3rd grade

Synopsis: Jan Brett has adapted and illustrated this Ukrainian folktale into The Mitten.  The story, which is wonderfully illustrated with details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition, is about a young boy named Nicki.  It is winter-time and Nicki wants nothing more than to have mittens as white as the snow.  His grandmother, Baba, warns him that he will never find a white mitten if he drops it in the snow, but he wants them anyway.  When Baba is finished making the mittens, Nicki takes them and goes outside to play in the snow.  It isn't long before he unknowingly drops one of the mittens and it becomes lost in the snow.  Before long, a mole discovers the mitten and burrows inside to stay warm.  A snowshoe rabbit arrives on the scene and it too wiggles into the mitten.  Then, a hedgehog waddles into the mitten followed by an owl who was attracted to the commotion.  A badger comes along next and is allowed to crawl into the thumb of the mitten.  When the fox came along the other animals gave it a lot of room because they saw its sharp teeth.  All the animals were sure that the mitten was packed full until a bear came along; none of them would argue with a bear so they allowed it to climb in.  A meadow mouse, who is last to find the mitten, makes itself comfortable on the snout of the bear.  Baba's mitten had held strong up to this point, but the bear sneezes from the tickle of the mouse's whiskers.  The force of the sneeze shoots the mitten and the animals into the air.  The animals scurry off and Nicki finds the mitten and returns home to show Baba. 

Theme/Skill: Jan Brett's version of The Mitten offers many options for teachers.  The focus can be on opposites (i.e-old/young, empty/full), winter clothing and weather, theater/acting, retelling, recreation (writing a similar version). 

Pre-reading activity: There are several animals that appear in the story that may not be familiar to the students.  It would be beneficial to talk to students about the actual size of the animals.  This could lead to an after-reading discussion about whether or not the situation in the book could really happen.  Before teaching this lesson, the teacher should research the size (height, girth, and weight) of these animals.  Then, bring in a mitten and some sort of representation of the size of the animals.  Bring in a yard stick or measuring tape to show the students how big or small the animals are compared to them. 

Post-reading activity: Have the students work individually or with a partner to rewrite the story of The Mitten.  Each set of students will choose an animal to go into the mitten.  The students will also come up with a way that the animal finds the mitten and how they get it.  (The teacher should have a template for students to follow/copy/match as a model).  You will then combine the students' work and bind it into a book.  Students will also find a picture of the animal on the computer.  Share the book with students the next day.

Assessment: Students will be informally assessed on their ability to work well with a partner; compromise and problem solving will be noted by the teacher.  The formal assessment will be based on whether or not the student was able to follow the sample template to portray how the animal of their choice discovers and enters the mitten.  Students will be graded on neatness, spelling, and sentence structure. 

Reflection: This book is worth looking at simply for the illustrations.  They are done with such intricate detail that they tell the story without need for the words.  For example, while teaching this book an instructor could make students aware of the foreshadowing that the images portray.  On each side of the page there is an illustration inside the shape of a mitten.  The image on the right shows what is going to happen on the next page.  This would be an easy way to introduce foreshadowing and predicting to students or young readers who are not yet attending school.  In other words, The Mitten is a story that can be read and enjoyed for pleasure and for teaching/learning purposes. 

For anyone interested in teaching The Mitten by Jan Brett or The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt, The Virtual Vine and Enchanted Learning are great resources.