Jan Brett Books: Author Spotlight, Crafts and Activities (Unit Study)

In this bestselling modern classic, a young boy’s lost mitten leads to a charming snowy adventure.

When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.

As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki's snowy outing in the borders of each page.

In her distinctive style, Jan Brett brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition from which the story comes.

Mossy, an amazing turtle with a gorgeous garden growing on her shell, loses her freedom when Dr. Carolina, a biologist,  takes her to live in her Edwardian museum.

Visitors flock to see Mossy, but it is Dr. Carolina's niece, Tory, who notices how sad Mossy is living in a viewing pavilion. She misses the outdoors and her friend, Scoot.

A chill is in the air, and as Hedgie trundles around the farm all his friends tell him of the winter-time fun he will miss as he hibernates: Icicles decorating the chicken coop! Lisa making snowmen!

The pond turned to slippery ice!It sounds so amazing that Hedgie decides to stay awake instead of going to his burrow. But then, a snowstorm starts. L

uckily, Lisa finds him and brings him to her home, so Hedgie gets to see the wonders of winter from inside the cozy house.

When Kiniro, a young mermaid, comes upon a gorgeous house made of seashells and coral, she is so curious that she goes inside. She’s thrilled to find a just-right breakfast, pretty little chair, and, best of all, a comfy bed that rocks in the current. 

When the Octopus family returns home, they are not happy to find that someone has been eating their food and breaking their things. Baby has the biggest shock when she finds the mermaid asleep in her bed!

Luckily, shock turns to happiness when Kiniro gives her a thoughtful gift before escaping from the twenty-four arms coming her way. 

Vibrant, intricate scenes of an underwater paradise transport this classic fairy tale to a magical setting inspired by the seas off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Along with fun details that enrich the storytelling in Jan Brett's trademark borders, this visual treat will enchant readers of all ages.

When Lisa's woolen stocking flies off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and pokes his nose in. He tries to pull it out, but the stocking gets stuck on his prickles -- and the fun begins.

A mother hen comes by, then a noisy goose, a talkative barn cat, a playful farm dog, a mama pig and her piglets, and a pony. They all laugh at Hedgie, especially when he pretends he's wearing a new hat. But in the end, it is clever Hedgie who has the last laugh.

And where is Lisa when all of this is going on? She's in Jan Brett's signature borders, getting ready for winter, until she realizes her stocking is missing and she enters the story to look for it.

Luminous paintings of a Scandinavian farm and the forest around it are bathed in northern light, as the snow begins to fall and the adventure unfolds.

The African plains provide a stunning environment for Jan Brett's latest animal adventure. For as long as anyone can remember, the honeyguide bird and the African honey badger have been partners when it comes to honey:

Honeyguide finds the honeycomb, Badger breaks it open, and they share the sweetness inside.But this day, Badger keeps all the honey for himself. Foolish Badger!In no time, Honeyguide leads Badger on a fast chase. Badger thinks it's for honey; but Honeyguide has a surprise waiting for her greedy friend.

As they swim across a pond, push through a thicket of reeds, leap over a huge anthill, a menagerie of exotic animals passes the news along in a kind of animal Bush Telegraph.

Finally Badger faces a lift-the-flap page, revealing the twist that teaches Badger a lesson. Can you guess who's under that flap?

Jan Brett's board book audience will love this brief version of a favorite tale in which Aloo-ki, an Inuit girl, meets a polar bear family.

When Aloo-ki's sled dogs float away on an ice floe, she goes looking for them. She comes upon an igloo with no one home and goes inside.

In the meantime, Mama, Papa and Baby Bear swim out and rescue Aloo-ki's dogs. They all go home for breakfast to find a surprise visitor curled up in Baby Bear's bed for a nap.

Jan Brett's highly original version of the Gingerbread Boy story has quickly become a family classic.

Now, the charming tale of Matti's clever trap for the runaway Gingerbread Baby is available as a beautiful board book for younger readers.

And it still features a surprise lift-the-flap gingerbread house at the end!

A walk through the Costa Rican cloud forest provides a wonderfully lush setting for Jan Brett's beloved animal illustrations.

When Carlos drops his umbrella to climb a tree for a better view of the animals, they all cram into the banana-leaf umbrella as it floats by -- from the little tree frog to the baby tapir to the big jaguar and more.

It gets so crowded in the umbrella that there isn't even enough room for a little hummingbird!

So over the umbrella tumbles, everyone falls out, and poor Carlos comes back wondering why he didn't see any animals all day.