The cover caught my attention on today's read. Not only are the mittens cute, but it reminded me of one of my favorite tales as a kid. I don't remember the title on that one, but it was about a mitten, which was lost in the snow and turned into a house for many creatures, who sought shelter from the cold, blowing storm outside.
I'm pretty sure this one doesn't surround a snowstorm, but it does seem to have something to do with lost mittens. Let's just find out if it's a read to cuddle up with in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate or not.
THE THREE LITTLE MITTENS
by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili
Tundra Books
Picture Book
32 pages
ages 8 to 12
A single mitten is excluded by a matching pair in this endearing picture book about friendship, belonging and the pressure to "match." For fans of The Day the Crayons Quit .
Dotty and Other Dotty are a matching set of mittens. When another mitten, Stripes, loses her partner and becomes a single mitten, they don't feel the need to include her. She doesn't "match" them, so she is banished to the dark, lonely pocket of the Little Girl who owns them. Before long, however, Dotty loses her partner, and now she doesn't match the reunited pair of Stripes and Other Stripes, who in turn banish her to the pocket. "YOU don't match!" they tell her.
When the Little Girl, who has been listening to their conversations, weighs in with a huge question ("Why do you have to match?"), the mittens are shocked. Then comes their realization that "matching" often means leaving someone out. This prompts the Little Girl to break a fundamental rule of fashion so that individual mittens (and maybe even socks! or shoes!) can be themselves — and everyone can belong.
A warm and fuzzy story with lots of laughs, this latest picture book from Linda Bailey explores what it feels like to be excluded and included and celebrates one-of-a-kindness!
Dotty and Other Dotty are a matching set of mittens. When another mitten, Stripes, loses her partner and becomes a single mitten, they don't feel the need to include her. She doesn't "match" them, so she is banished to the dark, lonely pocket of the Little Girl who owns them. Before long, however, Dotty loses her partner, and now she doesn't match the reunited pair of Stripes and Other Stripes, who in turn banish her to the pocket. "YOU don't match!" they tell her.
When the Little Girl, who has been listening to their conversations, weighs in with a huge question ("Why do you have to match?"), the mittens are shocked. Then comes their realization that "matching" often means leaving someone out. This prompts the Little Girl to break a fundamental rule of fashion so that individual mittens (and maybe even socks! or shoes!) can be themselves — and everyone can belong.
A warm and fuzzy story with lots of laughs, this latest picture book from Linda Bailey explores what it feels like to be excluded and included and celebrates one-of-a-kindness!
MY TIDBITS
If only mittens were this fuzzy, friendly, and fun.
There were once three mittens—two were a pair, while a striped one was all alone and didn't fit with the other two. It stayed in the pocket and never had a chance to play. That is, until one of the other mittens was lost in the snow. Now, neither of the two remaining mittens looked like the other, but somehow, they had to make a pair. If only that were possible.
This is a sweet tale about some very fuzzy and wooly mittens. Each mitten holds just enough personality to win over (and their simple faces are adorable). It's easy to sympathize with the misfit mitten as it's bullied and feels unimportant. The emotions come across with familiarity and it's hard not to root for the odd mitten. There are wonderful messages surrounding friendship and individuality, and I did enjoy how this blossoms at the end. It really puts a smile on the face.
The illustrations carry a fuzzy note, making each one seem cuddly. The text is a little on the longer side and makes a great read-aloud for story time. It does work well to open up to discussions and hits some important life lessons. I did wish there was a little more sadness at the loss of the one mitten and caught myself wondering what happened to it, but this was a well-rounded tale as it is and brings more than a few smiles along the way.
And here they are...
LINDA BAILEY is an award-winning author who has written nearly forty books for children. Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein was cited as a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the Globe and Mail, the New York Public Library, CBC and Booklist, among others. In addition to these, Linda has been awarded the Blue Spruce Award, the Silver Birch Award the Shining Willow Award (twice), the B.C. Chocolate Lily Award (five times), the Red Cedar Award, the California Young Reader Medal, the Georgia Storybook Award, the Christie Harris Award, the Hackmatack Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People and the Arthur Ellis Award (twice).
NATALIA SHALOSHVILI began her creative career as a fashion and editorial illustrator, working with a number of international magazines and creative agencies, including Grazia, Women’s Health and Gala. Later, she found her true passion in children’s books and paintings. Her original work can be found in private galleries and homes around the globe. Natalia lives in London, England, with her family.
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