Two Little Red Mittens

by Kirin Hayashi, Chiaki Okada (Illustrator), Avery Fischer Udagawa (Translator)

Overview

Two mittens. A pair of friends.

The little red left mitten and the little red right mitten enjoy their life as a pair, keeping Little One’s hands warm and toasty. But one day Little One loses the right mitten—and it’s off on an adventure through the forest! Passed among various woodland creatures, the little right mitten soon becomes tattered—yet it remains cherished, always, by those who find it. Meanwhile, the left mitten can’t help but worry about its old pal, even after a new right mitten is knitted. Will these dear friends ever see each other again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662516764
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

About the Author

Kirin Hayashi is the author of multiple picture books published in Japan. She writes poetry, picture books, translation works, and lyrics, including the children’s book Nibanme No Warumono, which won the 2022 Grand Prix of the Librarians’ Awards hosted by Nippan. Her works are also popular in China, Korea, and Taiwan. She and Chiaki Okada also collaborated on the picture book Akari (Light).

About the Illustrator

Chiaki Okada has illustrated books by authors from around the world, including her husband, Ko Okada. She recently illustrated For All the Stars Across the Sky, written by Karl Newson, which was her first picture book published in English and was named an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Ages 3 to 5. She lives in Japan. Follow her on Instagram @chiakiokadapicturebook.

About the Translator

Avery Fischer Udagawa is an award-winning translator of children’s books from Japanese, including the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award winner Temple Alley Summer, written by Sachiko Kashiwaba and illustrated by Miho Satake. She writes, translates, and works in international education near Bangkok, Thailand, where she lives with her bicultural family. Learn more at www.averyfischerudagawa.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/05/2024

After a child’s mittens become separated during a snowy outing, one provides comfort to a series of animals in this meditative story, which imbues its woolen subjects with tender emotion. Initially, the mittens promise each other to keep the child’s “tiny fingers toasty warm tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.” When the right mitten goes missing, though, the lonesome left mitten wonders about the fate of its match. Meanwhile, the right mitten becomes tea cozy to a mother bunny, sleeping cap to her young, blanket to mouse siblings, and sweater to a squirrel, all the while wondering about its “dear friend,” until the season’s end provides bittersweet closure. Smudgy shading imbues Okada’s artwork with a fuzziness that gestures toward the subjects’ “fluffy warmth,” and a muted palette centers cherry-colored mittens on every page. Ages up to 7. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

After a child’s mittens become separated during a snowy outing, one provides comfort to a series of animals in this meditative story, which imbues its woolen subjects with tender emotion.” —Publishers Weekly

“The story unfolds with a minimum of drama, driven by a childlike imagination that envisions how animals might repurpose a mitten. Reflecting the narrative’s gentle tone, the illustrations are softly shaded pencil drawings, warmed with colored pencils that enhance the woodland and interior scenes… First published in Japan, this picture book will speak to children whether or not their winters bring snow.” —Booklist

From the Publisher