Children’s Literature Evaluation Form
Your Name: Gabriella Chay
Book Title: The Mitten
Author: Jan Brett
Genre: Fiction/ Folklore
Illustrator: Jan Brett
Publisher/Year: 1989
Evaluate the Book for the following elements
Style and Language: Using examples for the book, explain the following: Word
choices, dialogue, rhythm, rhyme and sentence length. Share unexpected insights or
interesting information the reader learns from this story. (5 points)
The word choice of the book is concrete diction. There is a dialogue between the
characters in the book. There is rhythm in the book where the words flow into one
another but there is no shaming. The sentence length is short but detailed and
explains things that go on very well. Unexpected insights or interesting information
the reader learns from the story is how all the animals were able to fit into the small
glove, also how the book is a Ukrainian Folklore.
Character: With examples from the book, provide the following- (5 points)
Who is the main character?
How can the reader relate to the character?
Who are the supporting characters?
Main characters: Mole, rabbit, hedgehog, owl, badger, bear, mouse, boy
The reader can relate to the characters because they can think of a time when they
lost something that was given to them as well and of a time when they were cold and
also wanted to seek shelter whether it's in a blanket or by wearing a sweater.
Plot: Summarize the major events of the story (6 points)
The Mitten is a fairy tale about a little boy who loses his mitten in the snow. After
losing it an animal finds it and uses it for shelter and warmth. After more animals
have the same idea and it becomes stretched out by the animals till the boy finds it
aging in the end.
Setting: Explain the place and time of this book. (2 points)
Theme: What is the main message of this book? (2 points)
The setting of the book is winter.
The story's theme is the straw that broke the camel's back.
Illustration: Analyze the book you selected with the following categories
Style (realism, surrealism, expressionism, impressionism, naïve, cartoon art)? (2
points)
Media Choice (paints, oils watercolors, pencils, pen, charcoal, crayons, acrylic, chalk):
(2 points)
Acrylic
Give examples of describe how the following visual elements are used in the
illustrations: (3)
Line: the only lines are the ones used to outline the illustrations
Shapes: animals, people
Color: neutral colors
Texture: illustrations of the animals, nature, people
Page design (placement of the illustrations, use of borders, white and dark space and
all pages the same or different). (3)
The illustrations cover the whole page all the way to the borders and lead into the
pages next to one another. There are no white or dark pages since the illustrations
cover the whole page. All pages have a different illustration.
Child Development Theory: Choose either Piaget, Erickson or Social Emotional to
describe the connection to the book Chose 1 only (5 points)
Piaget:
Name the stage— preoperational stage and the age 2-7
Explain the cognitive development from this stage and provide an example from the
book to support your choice:
At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking the
point of view of other people. Having them act out the book of The Mitten in play form
will not only help them understand the book but also be able to interact with their
classmates and see how one another thinks.
Erickson:
Name the stage_____________________ and the age_______________________
Explain the cognitive development from this stage and provide an example from the
book to support your choice:
Emotional Development:
Identify the age: _________________________
Explain the social development for this age and how the book relates
to the emotional level you chose:
1 would not recommend 2 average 3 highly recommended
Your rating of the book: 2
Why?
I gave this book a 2 because I feel like there could have been more obstacles to make
the book more engaging. I do enjoy the illustrations of the book, I like how each page
shows the glove and what animals are inside.
Book Extension Activity (15 points)
Your Name: Gabriella Chay
Book Title: The Mitten
Book Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: Jan Brett
Date: 1989
1. Pre-K/CCSD K-2nd Grade Core Standard
2nd grade
2. Objectives (What will children expect to learn?)
Students will be able to use their detective skills to explain and learn about the
animals in the book “The Mitten'' and be able to act out the events of the book.
3. Materials and Equipment needed:
● The book “The Mitten”
● Handout of animals
● Play read out for book
4. Teaching (What will you do?)
I will introduce the activity by asking the students if they like animals and if they
know what it would be like to live in a place where it snows. After I will introduce
the book and I will give a handout of the book as well in play form for them to
reference. Once we read it as a class I will have the students get into groups of 4
and explain the activity to the students.
● Act 1. Students will use a magnifying glass to look at a variety of snowflakes
and explain the different types on their worksheets.
● Act 2. Students will learn what animals do in the winter and the animals in
the story The Mitten.
Once those have been completed they will then with their group make a play, they
will be able to design the setting, create costumes, and write their own play and
be able to perform it for the class.
5. Closure:
They have learned a lot about the animals and the setting of The Mitten, by
investing in the animals. They have learned the steps of what it takes to act out
and create their own play.
