La moufle

by Jim Aylesworth

When a little boy loses a mitten in the snow, a passing squirrel finds it's the perfect place to warm his icy toes. So he sqe-e-e-e-zes inside. But he's not the only animal with that idea. How many animals can fit inside a little boy's mitten?

Aylesworth's rollicking rhyming refrains and McClintock's delightfully expressive characters are sure to make this book everychild's storytime favorite.

(Sample of text)

"'Br-r-r-r-r-rrrr!' said the squirrel.

'My toes are cold as ice!

This mitten looks so cozy,

and warm toes would feel so nice!'"

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Folklore, Storytime, Folk Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Jim Aylesworth was born in Jacksonville, Florida but as an infant moved from the state. He lived in many places during his childhood: Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas... but by the time Aylesworth was 15 his family had settled in Hinsdale, Illinois and that is where he graduated from high school in 1961.

In 1965, he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in English. He returned to Hinsdale and began a career as a stockbroker. By 1970, however, Aylesworth was thinking about what he really wanted to do. After a series of assignments as a substitute teacher, Aylesworth ended up in a primary classroom. He began teaching first grade students in Oak Park, Illinois in 1971 and entered Concordia College in River Forest, Illinois, to earn a graduate degree in elementary education -- a goal he reached in 1978.

But it was his work with children that brought him the most reward. It was Aylesworth's experiences as a teacher that eventually led him to writing children's books.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

With regard to what Jim Aylesworth textually and Barbara McClintock illustratively provide in The Mitten (2009), yes, the combination of text and images works nicely together and also pretty faithfully according to thematics and general contents retells the traditional Ukrainian cumulative folktale of Рукавичка (and which using Roman letters would be Rukavychka), with The Mitten showing a young boy who loses a red woollen mitten outside one snowy winter day, and how while he is warming up by the fire with a mug of cocoa and the companionship of his beloved grandmother, a squirrel, a rabbit, a fox, a bear and finally a mouse all find refuge from the cold in the boy's cozy red mitten, that is of course until the mitten finally bursts apart and unravels, spilling all of the animals onto the snow.

But while Aylesworth's text for The Mitten is engagingly spirited, often humorous, with occasional melodic verse interpolations and that the extensive verbal repetition in The Mitten accompanied by McClintock's sparse but sweetly expressive and delightfully snow-filled artwork offer much read-aloud appeal (and with the focus in The Mitten on the boy's loving relationship with his grandmother making both words and illustrations for The Mitten also implicative of a celebration of domestic warmth and family bliss, that The Mitten is therefore not only an animal but also a very tenderhearted family tale as well as of course being a delightful winter-themed story), sorry, but I do have to say that there is for me unfortunately something quite hugely missing in and throughout The Mitten (and in particular for my adult me, although even my inner child is and remains just a wee bit frustrated with The Mitten).

Sure, Jim Aylesworth's story for The Mitten is nicely appealing and pleasant in and of itself and Barbara McClintock's ink, gouache and watercolour pictures capture the spirit of both the human and animal characters, with shifts in facial expressions as well as in body language nicely contributing to really fun visual characterisations, and the chaotic energy of the bursting mitten being riotously depicted with abundant shreds of red yarn filling a double-page illustrative spread amidst panicking wide-eyed animals who have suddenly become airborne (so that McClintock's artwork for The Mitten not only mirrors but also appreciatively somewhat visually expands on Aylesworth's featured narrative). But come on, since The Mitten is a retelling of a Ukrainian folktale, why do neither what Jim Aylesworth writes nor what Barbara McClintock illustrates in any way even remotely suggest and hint at anything even somewhat Ukrainian in scope and feel (and which I personally speaking both want and also indeed rather need). And yes, this for me and in my humble opinion both textual and illustrative shortcoming as well as Aylesworth not providing any sources at all, indeed, this has for me rather majorly lessened both my verbal and equally my visual pleasure regarding The Mitten, so that therefore, my rating for The Mitten can and will only be three stars.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh, I am so glad I read this. I’m a huge fan of McClintock's illustrations and I have been wanting to read all of her books. Over at the Children's Books group, the December theme for the Picture Books Club is winter, and the Jan Brett version of this folk tale is one of the selected books, but some members are reading other versions in addition to or instead of that one. I loved the Jan Brett version and I think I love this one even more.

I can understand why there are so many versions of this tale. It’s sweet, funny, and has an unexpected and particularly humorous ending, and what it shows about a “tipping point” makes the story a lot of fun. The ending of this one deviates somewhat from Brett’s version, but I was surprised at how similarly the stories were told in each of these tellings. The tone of the story is wonderful and the way it has with words makes for an excellent read aloud.

The illustrations are terrific, as I’d expected they would be. Just lovely and appealing. The boy at various forms of play, the animals including their faces, the grandmother, the mitten, the snowy landscape; all are wonderful.

I’m so grateful I’ve read these two version of the mitten story (I know that there are many more), especially since I never had interest in this tale. So, I thank the Children's Books group for motivating me to read both of these books. I enjoyed both very much; they were so much better than I’d imagined.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This is the story of a little boy who loves winter and loves to play outside and his grandmother, who loves him very much, always knits him wonderfully warm hats and sweaters and mittens for him to bundle up in when he goes outside. One day, though, he loses a mitten; but it becomes a warm place for various woodland creatures to warm their toes. It all gets over-exaggerated and a bit absurd as so many creatures (and big ones, at that!) cram into the tiny mitten, but that just adds to the fun of this cumulative story. And the ending is so sweet, with the boy and his grandmother tying everything back together. I enjoyed the cumulative nature of the tale and can just imagine children chiming in with the little creatures as the story progresses! I also *loved* the illustrations but, I'm a big McClintock fan so I'm not surprised. I found them both adorable and wonderfully humorous--even down to the details like the fox (I think it was) sticking out his tongue as others try to squeeze in to the mitten. It's also very nice to see a story with those animals (that might otherwise be predator and prey) together in a harmonious (mostly!) setting. I liked the ambiguity at the end of their tale of whether or not they were running off looking for separate cozy homes or going to find one to share. All in all, a real treat!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly how many versions of this old Ukrainian folktale, in which a lost mitten provides temporary shelter to an assortment of wild creatures, have I read? Well, let's see... there Jan Brett's The Mitten , currently in print, and probably the best known adaptation of this story in the United States. There's Alvin Tresselt's classic retelling from the 1960s, recently made available again; Irina Zheleznova's The Old Man's Mitten , printed in the former USSR for the English-language audience; and (of course) there's the version illustrated by E. Bulatov and O. Vasiliev, shaped like a mitten itself.

Having read all four of these picture-books, not to mention the adaptations to be found in larger collections such as Irina Zheleznova's Ukrainian Folk Tales , I thought I was done with this story, which (despite my folkloric interest) has never been one of my favorites. But not so!, say Aylesworth and McClintock, whose new rendition is undoubtedly my favorite yet! With an entertaining narrative just made for reading aloud - "Please! begged the fox. / My toes are cold as ice! / Your mitten looks so cozy, / and warm toes would feel so nice!" - and endearing ink, gouache and watercolor illustrations, this delightful title breathes new life into an old tale.

A true accomplishment! But then, what else would you expect from this author/illustrator team, whose many projects, from The Gingerbread Man to The Tale of Tricky Fox , are unfailingly excellent?

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I’m still partial to the classic Alvin Tresselt version of my childhood, I think this fresh version of the story is fantastic! This is my preferred version of The Mitten for reading aloud to a group.

The dialogue in this story heightens the drama and adds depth of characterization to the tale. It is a softer re-telling—there is no fear of recrimination from Grandma if the mitten is lost and no fear and animosity between animals squeezing in to the mitten. There is sweet dialogue between the beloved boy and his grandmother and some cute exchanges between the animals. The repetition of each encounter between the animals and their recitation of a short rhyme begging to get in and get warm make this a very fun read aloud. The illustrations are darling.

[Ellie Redman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many versions of "The Mitten" but this one is my favorite! This is such a classic folk tale to teach your students! Because there are so many versions a fun activity to do with your students is to have them compare the different versions of The Mitten. The little boy loses his mitten in the snow and throughout the book animals, all try to fit in it all together. The illustrations in this book are amazing and grab the student's attention! This is a great book to include in your folk literature Library!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's not cold outside, pretend like it is, grab some hot chocolate (there's even a homemade recipe on the back cover) ... and read this all too cute story! The little ones are going to relish this. Giggles will ensue - especially when they see what happens to the mitten!

Ages 3+

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[Jess Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Mitten. When the boy loses his mitten, he has no idea that a whole bunch of different animals (from the large to the small: a bear to a mouse) has decided to stay warm inside his mitten. When he and his grandmother go out to retrieve it, the mitten has exploded into a bunch of bits as the animals were just too much for it to hold. I liked the repetition in the story, and the fact that all of the animals continued to make room for more and more animals. The grandmother's love of the boy is endearing. Best for early elementary, but applicable for a tiny bit younger and older as well. Good read aloud & potential tell-aloud as well.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slightly different version of The Mitten than the Jan Brett one. This was my first time reading this version. I really liked the cumulative tale aspect of this retelling. It was fun to compare which animals came and squeezed into the mitten in each story and to compare the different endings. My 7 yo really liked the pictures on the first page that looked like little frames around each picture.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful tale that is perfect for a cold winter's day (or a hot summer one, for that matter). It is funny, has a soothing repetitive narrative and heartwarming, too. Makes me want to learn to knit!

The illustrations are terrific and the story is entertaining. We really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of the illustrations. Jan Brett's The Mitten or Alvin Tresselt's The Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Folktale are better versions.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am sick of Jan Brett. This is a refreshing change, even if it is an old story.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my preferred version of this story to read aloud with kids. The illustrations are funny, and the moment when the mitten bursts is more exciting.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet story. I still have the scarf n the mittens my mother knitted for me so long ago. Loved when the bear came to join them all. delightful book

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Booklist starred (November 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 5))

Preschool-Grade 2. Twenty years after the publication of Jan Brett’s now-classic version of The Mitten (1989) comes this similarly charming retelling of the Ukrainian folktale from two veteran collaborators. As in such titles as The Tale of Tricky Fox (2001) and Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2003), Aylesworth and McClintock’s styles marry well here, creating a perfectly paced read-aloud with an old-fashioned feel. While playing in the snow, a young boy loses a mitten made by his grandmother. At home, his grandmother consoles him with cocoa and a promise to look for the missing mitten in the morning. Overnight, a lineup of woodland creatures finds the warm, woolen treasure and burrows in, stretching the knit until even a giant bear fits inside. It’s the addition of a tiny mouse, though, that eventually causes the seams to burst, leaving only a pile of yarn pieces for the boy and his grandmother to discover. In lines filled with repetition and rhythm, Aylesworth expertly builds the humor and suspense, while McClintock’s artwork, inspired by both 1960s comics and nineteenth-century illustration, capture the story’s absurdity in action-filled images of the animals, each an expressive character, struggling to squeeze into the ever-expanding mitten, right up to its final explosion. A satisfying blend of cozy comforts and slapstick farce, this will be a top choice for winter story hours.



Horn Book (November/December, 2009)

It might seem that between Alvin Tresselt's The Mitten (with Yaroslava's stylish sixties illustrations) and Jan Brett's very popular, lush version there would be no room for another take on the old Ukrainian story. Aylesworth's polished story together with McClintock's energetic pictures prove that The Mitten can hold one more. Aylesworth's text shows its storytelling roots with its perfect pacing, precisely chosen details, and most of all its participatory repetition: "My toes are cold as ice! / Your mitten looks so cozy, / and warm toes would feel so nice!" McClintock chooses to make her mitten red, giving a splash of color to each picture. As each animal -- squirrel, rabbit, fox, and bear -- squeezes itself in, the storyboard sequence of pictures makes the implausible (a bear in a mitten?) look almost possible, albeit requiring tremendous effort, and the explosion of the mitten when the little mouse squashes in is spectacular. Adults may go for the prettiness of Brett's version, but children will love the great humor of this one, especially McClintock's Paul Galdone-like animals and their expressions.



Horn Book starred (March, 2010)

In this take on the Ukrainian folktale, Aylesworth's polished text shows its storytelling roots with perfect pacing, precisely chosen details, and participatory repetition. In McClintock's energetic pictures, the mitten is red, giving a splash of color to each illustration as the animals squeeze themselves in; the explosion of the mitten after the little mouse enters is spectacular.



Kirkus Reviews (September 15, 2009)

A little boy goes out to play in the snow with the mittens his grandmother knitted him, but comes back with only one. They'll look for it later, she says, and comforts him with hot cocoa. Meanwhile a squirrel discovers the mitten and curls up in it for a warm nap. Then a rabbit, a fox and a bear each come along, and after much pleading they are let in. Finally, a tiny mouse manages to talk his way in, with a mitten-destroying result. Aylesworth brings a folksy voice to the story, and McClintock's detailed black-lined illustrations set on snowy white backgrouds add to the vintage sensibility. She invests her animals with enormous personality and the scene with an absurd humor with the use of sequential vignettes, making it both visually and tonally quite different from Jan Brett's 1992 version. What really shines is the temptation offered to little imaginations: What happens to all those lost mittens when you're not there? Certainly fun to think about while drinking hot cocoa on a snowy day--recipe included. Fresh. (Picture book. 3-6)



Library Media Connection (November/December 2009)

A young boy wears the hat, mittens, and scarf made by his loving grandmother.ÿAs he plays in the snow, he loses one of the warm mittens.ÿThe mitten is found by a variety of forest animals who want to warm their toes in the cozy mitten.ÿEach animal stretches the mitten until the field mouse stretches it so much that it bursts into a pile of yarn pieces. After they find the pile of yarn, Grandma knits the young boy a new mitten.ÿThis is a beautifully drawn title that would be a good contrast for other versions of the story, although this version of the popular folktale makes no mention of its Russian roots. Additional Selection.ÿTerry Day, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri, St. Louis



Publishers Weekly (October 19, 2009)

Aylesworth and McClintock's (Our Abe Lincoln) retold folktale about a lost mitten opens sweetly, with a playful boy wearing the tomato-red hat, scarf and mittens his grandmother has knit for him. After a carefree sled ride, he returns home, gazing disconsolately at his mittenless hand. He gets a comforting hug and hot chocolate while, outside, a delighted squirrel crawls into the mitten. Soon a rabbit asks to share the warmth: " 'Please!' begged the rabbit./ 'My toes are cold as ice!/ Your mitten looks so cozy,/ and warm toes would feel so nice!' " The tale grows sillier as a fox, then a bear, repeat the rabbit's rhyme to humorous effect and persuade the mitten's occupants to let them in the tight space, massively distending the mitten (they soon discover its limits-with explosive results). McClintock adapts her 19th century-style pen-and-ink imagery to the slapstick, emphasizing the animals' gestures and facial features in a Currier & Ives winter wonderland. The lifelike animals recall Joel Chandler Harris's folktales, and the naturalism-which is an unlikely but inspired vehicle for comedy-is full of surprises. Ages 3-6. (Oct.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.



School Library Journal (December 1, 2009)

PreS-Gr 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 cartoon Top 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, OH Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

[Bailey Doran · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth is a book listed under the Recommended Traditional Literature section on page 103 of Essentials of Children's Literature by Kathy G. Short. This story was originally published in 2006. The story begins when a boy loses his mitten that had special value to him. He was upset by this and him and his grandmother decided to search the next day because it was very cold outside. Overnight, a small squirrel came across the mitten and used it to warm up. Different animals kept approaching this mitten, and they all jammed inside. The animals progressively got larger, until a bear climbed inside. They all found a home for the night inside this mitten. The mitten was stretched too far and it tore and unraveled. The mitten was ruined. The boy and his grandmother found it the next day and she told him she would knit him another one because she loved him. This story demonstrates the concept of scarcity. The animals had nowhere to go to get warm, so they all shared a small mitten. The print and text content in this story is very rich and demonstrates the idea and concept of scarcity without directly stating it. The illustrations accurately depict the mood and emotions of this story by facial expressions of the confused and upset boy that his mitten was ruined. Teachers can read this to the students and teach them what scarcity is and how it affects people and animals. Students can then take a small quiz about this concept.

[Katherine Easterday]

I really like reading this version of this book after the original that was written by Jan Brett. I think it is neat because it is essentially the same story, but with different details. For one, there was more detail and information before the little boy lost the mitten. Also, there was more details about how the different animals used the mitten to stay warm. I think it is really cute how the author added more detail, and the details that he added. Also, I really like the illustrations and the detail in them. I like how much detail there is in the squirrel's tale and how you can see all the little hairs on the squirrel. Also, I like the detail in the knitting of the mitten, and the little berries that are used as a bottom boarder of the pictures. There is so much detail in all of these pictures that it is so realistic and truly amazing. Also, I like how the author made the mitten different in this one. I like how it was knitted with red yarn, instead of white yarn, so it was more obvious in the snow. Also, I like how at the end, the mitten broke because of all the animals sleeping in it, but that it still ended okay because his grandma knit him a new one. I really like this book and the more detailed take on the original that the author and illustrator took for this.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It is different from what what I have read before with some similarities. It has the same characters and overall the same story with a different ending. The animals also talk more and the lines, "No room!" and "Go away!" are repeated ALL the time by EACH animal whenever a new animal came along. That was super annoying. I would have hated reading this book out loud.

The illustrations are really cool though. I like the colors, the texture of the animals, and the details of grandma's house. My favorite illustration was when the bear tried to fit into the mitten and the animals' faces all had silly faces like with their tongue out and looked really squished. It was so funny and made me smile.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful version of this old folktale, and it would be great to pair it with Jan Brett's version of The Mitten. Though the stories are based on the same folktale, the takes are very different. Well done. I love the spread out text and the expressive illustrations.

[Karli Mittel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mitten tells the story of a little boy who loses one of the mittens his grandmother knits for him. He is so upset by this, but through the night animals love the mitten. It is a goofy story as a little mitten can fit a squirrel, a rabbit, a fox, and a bear! And then a little mouse comes along and the whole mitten explodes into shreds of yarn. This is a great book to read aloud to children with the repetition of the story. Overall, cute illustrations and story.

[Kelsey Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story the little boys grandma knitted him a hat, scarff, and mittens because the boy loved to play in the snow. The boy went out to play in the snow one day and lost it. Then all these aniamls tryed to get in it to warm up and busted it. When the boy went to go find it and seem it was broken so the grandma felt bad and made a new one. I love the illustations and it shows love from the grandma and shows what animals will do yo be warm in the winter.

[Natalie Cagno · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mitten by Jim Alyesworth is an interesting story about a young boy who lost his mitten. The animals of the forest find the mitten, and keep nice and warm inside of it. This is another book that will be made very entertaining by giving each animal a unique voice. Having a bear, fox, rabbit, and a squirrel fit inside of the mitten while the mouse is the animal that rips the mitten is very funny. I feel bad for the animals that are now cold!

[Malysea Flood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be touching, and adorable, it is about a boy who loses his mitten in the snow, and all of the wildlife that ends up finding it and seeking warmth inside of this mitten from the winter snow. I think this book would be very good for a younger audience, just to gain more knowledge in reading because it teaches many different lessons such as kindness, and surprises that you may endure in challenges.

[Tameka Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

recommend this beautifully illustrated version of a well loved classic folk tale. The size is perfect for reading aloud to a group of children, and the colorful art and humor of the animals trying to squeeze into the warm woolen mitten that was lovingly knitted by the grandmother of the little boy.

[Cindy Sarnowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect story for a cold winter's day filled with colorful illustrations. The words ooze love and warmth, almost like a big hug. There are surprises along the way as we watch the interaction of a squirrel, rabbit, fox, bear and a mouse. This story brought a smile to my face - it's a keeper!

[Andrea Andrusewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught how important something can be to not only you but to others you know nothing about as well. It shows the importance of family, and how much someone can love someone. It is a good book for children to understand how valuable something their loved ones make them is. I loved this book. I think all children should read this or have it read to them!

[Random Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is insane because in reality, a fox, a squirrel, a bear, a mouse, and a rabbit would never cooperate with each other to keep warm by sharing a mitten. Yet it offers a fun topic for discussion about what would happen if they did decide to share a mitten. I would read this to students in first and second grade if they wanted a good laugh.

[Andrea Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author walks the readers through a fictional tale of a young boy who loses his mitten in the snow after a day of playing and shares all the action that occurred with the mitten overnight until the little boy came to retrieve it. The story exposes readers with a touch of fantasy as they get to hear conversations from animals. This is a sweet story for young readers to engage with.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longer, slightly different animals and results from Brett's classic version, which would make a good compare/contrast lesson. This one has interesting origin of folktale in the back. Love the expressions on the animals' faces as mitten gets full.

[Collin A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and found myself laughing and smiling at it as well. To see different animals going in the mitten was quite entertaining for me. I have these thoughts that when i lose something this is what always happens. Glad somebody could bring this to life for me and make it entertaining as well.