by Adam Lehrhaupt; illus. by Shahar Kober
32 pages; ages 4-8
HarperCollins, 2017
themes: winter, friendship, exploration
Zoey stepped out of the barn.
I love, love, love adventure stories, don't you? So when Zoey heads out into the snowy day with her best pig, Sam, we know this is going to be an Adventure with a capital A. And when Clara hollers, "Wear your mittens" - well, we just know that chickens who need to be reminded about proper winter attire are sure to run into problems.
What I like about this book: Fun! Fun! And 100% appropriate for reading during the holiday break. The language is perfect for just-beginning readers (level 1) and the story is engaging enough to keep 'em turning the page.
What else I like: It's got a very Pooh-and-Piglet feel, what with it being an Arctic adventure and the search for the North Pole. There might be a Yeti. And the unraveling mitten has a distinctive Tom-Sawyer-lost-in-a-cave feel. It also features chocolate.
Beyond the Book: Given the season and the distinct possibility that we may have snow, ice, or a combination of both, I've got my mind on mittens!
Make your own Mitten Matching game - instructions from Highlights. It's a perfect way to recycle pieces of Christmas wrapping paper!
Go on a mitten scavenger hunt. Track down all the mittens and gloves and sort them into pairs. Got any singles? Great! You'll need them for the next activity...
Make a mitten doll. Here's instructions.
Read some more stories about mittens - both lost and found:
And remember to Wear Your Mittens!
We'll be joining Perfect Picture Book Friday in the New Year. It's a weekly event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy discovered at the local library.
