The Mitten
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3—This is a delightful adaptation of the Ukrainian folktale in which a dropped mitten becomes a haven of warmth and protection for an increasing number of woodland animals until it finally bursts (or, in one story, stretches out and is carried off by the wind). From the very first sentences—"Once upon a time there was a happy little boy who loved to play. Yes, he did."—the narrative draws readers into the story and begs to be read aloud. The text contains both repetitive phrases and a memorable refrain—"'Please!' begged the fox./My toes are cold as ice!/Your mitten looks so cozy,/and warm toes would feel so nice!" The gouache and watercolor illustrations with ink outlining and detail include single pages and spreads alternating with pages that contain several small vignettes, each accompanied by a bit of text. McClintock attributes the style of her artwork to 19th-century French and British illustrators J. J. Grandville and Charles H. Bennett, and to the 1960s cartoonTop Cat. Her sweet-faced animals exhibit human personality traits in both conversation and facial expressions. Alvin Tresselt's well-loved version of the tale (HarperCollins, 1964), illustrated in black line drawings accented in five colors, and Jan Brett's popular retelling (Putnam, 1989), accompanied by paintings in her own distinctive bordered style, are both filled with patterns and details in clothing and settings that characterize the tale's ethnic origin. Aylesworth's tale belongs in every collection, as well.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.