Aylesworth's rollicking rhyming refrains and McClintock's delightfully expressive characters are sure to make this book every child'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!"

   

What  Others Have to Say about The Mitten

Starred Review — "... 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. ... 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)." — Publishers Weekly   or PW's Starred Reviews.

Starred Review — "... children will love the great humor of this one, especially McClintock's Paul Galdone -like animals and their expressions." —Horn Book, November-December 2009

Starred Review — "This retelling of the familiar story is bursting
(ahem) with humor and spirit; extensive repetition and rhythmic patterning offer
heaps of readaloud appeal, while the gentle focus on the boy‚s relationship with
his grandma steeps the tale in domestic warmth." — Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books (January 2010)

Starred Review — "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... 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. ...Aylesworth's tale belongs in every collection...."  —School Library Journal

Starred Review — "In lines filled with repetition and rhythm, Aylesworth expertly builds the humor and suspense, while McClintock's illustrations, 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."" —Booklist

"Ever wonder what happens to that one lost mitten that you dropped in the snow or left at the bus stop? As one little boy realizes he loses his mitten, his grandmom soothes him with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. ... Jim Aylesworth retells this Ukrainian folktale and Barbara McClintock’s illustrations add the whimsy that makes this book a perfect bedtime story." — Kiwi Magazine - Online

"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. " — Abigail's Review on GoodReads.com

"Aylesworth takes the Ukrainian folktale and adds depth to the story, while McClintock decorates it with her expressive illustrations. I hate to say it, but it may be time to replace your Jan Brett versions."—Kiss the Book

"Even if you already own a version by Jan Brett or by Alvin Tresselt, you owe it to your collection to consider this one as well." —Inside iKids

"Aylesworth brings a folksy voice to the story, and McClintock's detailed black-lined illustrations set on snowy white backgrounds add to the vintage sensibility. ... 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."— Kirkus Reviews

"The Mitten is a popular Ukrainian folktale retold in beautiful style by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock. ... [And after the mitten explodes and the boy and his grandmother finds the red yarn in the snow, Grandmother assures the boy] 'Not to worry,' she says as she again assures him that she will make him another. Love is at the core of the story. The text and pictures are awash with homey details such as cozy fireplaces, hugs, warm scarves and hot cocoa. ...  True to the cover design of other picture books created by this team there is a recipe on the back cover for Hot Cocoa made just like Grandmother does with loving doses of sugar, cocoa, water, milk, vanilla and whipped cream." -- WCMU/CMU Public Radio / The Children's Bookshelf     (September 9-11, 2009)