Baba, a Ukrainian grandmother, knits pure white mittens for her grandson Nicki, even though she is afraid that he will easily lose them in the snow.
Sure enough, the first time Nicki is out, he drops one of his mittens and some woodland animals promptly move into its snug wool interior. First comes a mole, then a rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a bear and, finally, a mouse, all one by one wiggling their way inside. Your child and you will certainly enjoy seeing when each of them is trying hard to get in. And look at the funny expressions on the other animals' faces basically saying "no, please, no, there is no more room left!"
The mouse who moves in the last tickles the bear's nose with her whiskers, and he sneezes, dislodging all of the animals at once. When Nicki finds his mitten and takes it home, Baba is left to wonder how it became so enormously stretched out.
The tall tale from the Ukrainian tradition comes with an array of impressive folk details in illustrations by Jan Brett. You will see a Ukrainian village, a warm, cozy home where Baba lives with her grandson, and the yard where Nicki goes out to play.
This is a perfect book for a little child to enjoy sitting on mom's or grandma's lap on a frosty night with a cup of hot chocolate!
In English language. Publisher: Putnam (USA). Boardbook. 32 pages. For ages 3 to 6.
