The Mitten Text Talk Lesson

The Mitten
Adapted and Illustrated by Jan Brett
Published November 1990; ISBN:  0-590-44015-2

Summary
This is a story about a little boy named Nicki.  Nicki wants his grandmother to make him white mittens.  Initially, she doesn’t want to because she is afraid he will lose them in the snow, but she eventually gives in.  Nicki does end up losing one of his new mittens, and it becomes the cozy resting place of several animals in woods.

Cover
~Show cover and read the title.  Ask “Can you make any predictions about what may happen in this story?”

Page 1-2
~Who do you think this is in the side pictures? (Nicki’s grandmother)
~What do you think she’s going to do?  (Make Nicki’s mittens)
~Be sure to pay attention to the smaller pictures on the side of each page.

Page 3-4
~Why didn’t Baba want to make white mittens?  (Because they would get lost in the snow.)

Page 5-6
~Uh-oh he’s already lost a mitten.  What do you think Baba will do when she finds out? (Be angry, ground him)

~Look in this side picture (p. 6).  What do you think is going to happen?

Page 7-8
~So what’s happening here?  (A mole found the mitten, and got cozy inside it)

~Do you think Nicki’s even realized he lost a mitten?

Page 9-10

~Why did the mole make room for the rabbit? (Saw his big kickers)

~Why should the mole worry about the rabbit’s big kickers?  (He might kick the mole out of his warm and cozy spot.)

Page 11-12

~What does it mean when it says “jostled”?   (bumped, pushed, shoved)

~I would move out of that hedgehog’s way too.  I wouldn’t want him poking me with his prickles.

Page 13-14

~What does the word glinty mean? (Sparkling, flashy, shiny)

~What do you think that is peeping out from under the tree? (pg. 14-side picture) (Badger)

Page 15-16

~It was a badger!!!  That mitten sure is getting crowded.

Page 17-18

~Does anyone know what it means to feel drowsy?  (sleepy)

~Why did they give the fox lots of room?  (They saw his shiny teeth and didn’t want him to eat them.)

Page 19-20

~If it’s so packed in there why are they going to let the bear in?  (Bears are scary.  It could eat them all up.)

Page 21-22

~What do you think might happen with the mouse on the bear’s nose?  (Tickle it.  Sneeze. Get mad)

~Look at the side pictures.  What do you think Nicki’s finally realized? (That he’s lost a mitten.)

Page 23-24

~Look at them fly!!!

~What does the word enormous mean?  (Big, huge, large, gigantic)

~That’s right the bear’s sneeze was so big it blew them all out of the mitten.

Page 25-26

~Show the picture first.  Do you see anything important on this page?  (Nicki’s lost mitten)

~He finally found his mitten!!!

Page 27-28

~How do you think Baba would have reacted if Nicki didn’t have his mittens?  (Been mad)

~Would Nicki have been in a lot of trouble?  (Probably so)

Wrap-Up (last page)

What do you think Baba is thinking when she sees Nicki’s mittens?

Do you think Nicki will probably want mittens in a different color now?

What would be a good color mitten to have?