Runaway Mittens
PreSchool-Grade 1 Pica's red mittens, knit for him by his grandmother, keep getting lost just when he needs them; but they always turn up again, for playing, for mending, for ice fishing. Their final loss, though, is Pica's choice; after searching in all the usual places, he finds them in the box where his dog, Pin, brought indoors from the blizzard, has given birth to puppies; and he lets the dogs keep the mittens. It's a direct, simple story line about one of early childhood's familiar dramatic predica ments, and children can readily share Pica's anxiety, relief, and his responsi ble and generous spirit in the resolu tion. The pictures are as uncluttered as the story. Warm colors add to the cozy feeling of the interiors, while ample white space suggests the wintry climate of the Alaskan setting. If the sense of place is not quite so centrally present as in this team's King Island Christmas (Greenwillow, 1985), it is, neverthe less, an integral part of the story. De tails both in text and pictures build lo cale and describe lifestyle without intruding. A well-integrated effort, suit ed to either group or lap enjoyment. Karen Litton, Confederation Centre Public Library, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.