The Mending Basket · The five-night book · ages 3-5
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Read by an AI-generated voice. The words on this page are the transcript.
Mittle's Lost Mitten
The hammer rang once. A spark jumped off the anvil and did not go out. It waited. They followed.
Mittle the snowman had one blue mitten. Just one.
"Let's open the basket," said Bà Tư. It was not there.
Lid up, lid up.
Who can help us mend?
"My other hand is cold," said Mittle. "I feel sad."
Two hands. Two mittens.
"Get a new one!" said Tí.
Mittle shook his head. "I want my own other one."
Lid up, lid up.
Who can help us mend?
"On top? Let me climb," said Toppa, the kitten.
Toppa climbed on top of the shelf. Not there.
Toppa hopped under the bench. Not there.
Two hands. Two mittens.
On top? Under? Look!
Where is the mitten? Can you guess?
Lid up, lid up.
Who can help us mend?
"Peek, peek, slowly," said Tuckaway, the mouse.
She peeked behind the coat. Not there.
"In?" said Tuckaway.
Tí put his hand in the pocket. Something soft!
"I found it, tucked in!" said Tí. It had a hole in its thumb.
The old coat had a patch. A tiny hammer was sewn by it.
"Who mended the coat?" said Tí.
"A child, long ago," said Bà Tư.
Two hands. Two mittens.
On top? Under? Look!
In? Behind? Peek!
"I'll sew, you check," said Bà Tư.
Tí counted. One mitten, two mittens. A pair!
"Now I'm a pair again!" said Mittle.
Lid down, lid down.
Mended. The end.
The spark dimmed to a warm dot and settled back on the anvil. The Green was just the Green again.
Back on the Green
Tí lost his hat. He looked on, under, in. Behind the door!
Now you. Hide a sock. Can your grown-up find it? Say on, under, in or behind.
For the grown-up: if your child feels sad about a lost thing, say the feeling first, then look together.
Who you met
-
Bà Tư The grandmother who keeps the basket and does the sewing from VầnTots -
Mittle Two hands need two mittens; one alone feels sad from PairTots -
Tí a child of the Green Notices small things; says "again" -
Toppa Look ON top and look UNDER from WhereTots -
Tuckaway Look IN and look BEHIND from WhereTots
Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.
The Honest Page
Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?
True
Stretched
- Things are not always lost in the last place you look. What we simplified: It only feels that way, because you stop looking once you find it.
Made up
- Mittle, Toppa and Tuckaway are made up. Snowmen do not wear mittens.