This freebie for THE MITTEN by Jan Brett is in our free member area. Jan Brett’s author page has free coloring pages, videos, and online games for children. The free printable is for two versions of the story. It is on the free level page for free eMembers, so login or join us here.
The Mitten is one of Jan Brett’s very beautiful books. Her books have beautiful page borders that give hints as to what is coming up next in the story. Sometimes children who hear these stories begin drawing illustrations with beautiful borders, as well, because the books inspire artistic endeavors. This story is a favorite in grades K-2, and children so enjoy acting it out as the story is read.
My free PDF work page includes a title and also name tags to print for such a skit. First, all the children listen to the story. Then, parts are selected for a second reading where the children have a silent skit along with the story. In school, sometimes I have used a table pushed over on its side for the mitten, and the children scamper over and hide behind the table top, peaking up as the animals in the book peak out of the mitten. The rule is to pick the next person to play your part in total silence, and the story is read over and over until everyone has a turn to perform.
If you don’t know the story of The Mitten, it is an old Ukrainian folk tale. Baba, the grandmother, wants to knit mittens for her grandson Nicki. Nicki insists on white mittens. Grandmother thinks that white mittens are easily lost in the snow, but makes them anyway. When Nicki first goes outside, he does drop a mitten.
The animals have no trouble finding a white mitten in the snow, and begin creeping into it for some warmth. First the vole, then the rabbit, and finally seven animals including a bear are staying warm together in the mitten. They all magically fit inside the one mitten, no problem at all for children to believe! However, when the bear sneezes, the animals burst out of the still intact mitten, and fly into the air.
By now Nicki has noticed his mitten is missing and finds it sailing down through the air right to him. Grandmother is watching, being sure the mitten will be lost, but sees he still has two mittens. However, when Nicki goes back inside, she is puzzled about the stretched out shape of the one mitten.
Thank you for reading, Carolyn
