When he comes back to find it, all the animals are in it. There was another one that told about a hunter that left his glove in the snow, and the animals got in. There was one that told about an old pot that was on the side of a dusty road, and the animals got in that. So, I got in touch with a Ukrainian woman, Oxana Piaseckyj, and she translated all the different versions of the mitten story. I located Ukrainian books and discovered that they have a different alphabet. I wanted to dig down to the roots of the story. Here's what happened: I was doing a book signing, and they came in and said, 'We have this story that we really love, and it's got animals and snow in it, and we think you must love animals and snow.' I said yes. The book is 20 years old now, and I still keep in touch with those three teachers. I heard the story originally from three teachers, and I dedicated the book to them. JAN BRETT: It is a book that a lot of people love.

What insights would you like to share about The Mitten? The most beloved among them is The Mitten. TEACHINGBOOKS: You are the creator of many, many picture books. Jan Brett, interviewed from her studio in Norwell, Massachusetts on March 9, 2011. This book is also available in Spanish, as El mitón. Jan Brett is also the creator of such wintery classics as The Hat, The Snowy Nap, Three Snowy Bears, The Animal's Santa, and The Night Before Christmas. In her distinctive style, Jan Brett brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition from which the story comes. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the borders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing.

Jan Brett's beautiful retelling makes a perfect holiday gift. In this bestselling modern classic, a young boy's lost mitten leads to a charming snowy adventure.

The mitten jan brett animals