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Home > Store > Jan Brett

Armadillo Rodeo
When Bo spots what he thinks is a "rip-roarin', rootin'-tootin', shiny red armadillo," he knows what he has to do. Follow that armadillo! Bo leaves his mother and three brothers behind and takes off for a two-stepping, bronco-bucking adventure. Jan Brett turns her considerable talents toward the Texas countryside in this amusing story of an armadillo on his own.

Price: $6.99


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Daisy Comes Home
Picked on, pecked, and jostled, Daisy the hen is not quite as happy as her Happy Hens market basket might suggest. One evening, fed up with the other pushy hens, Daisy crawls into one of the baskets by the river, and falls asleep. Unaware of the rising river, this put-upon bird winds up floating downstream, past marauding monkeys, snorting water buffalo, and a greedy fisherman. Will Daisy ever make her way back to the home of the little girl Mei Mei and the six happiest hens in all of China? Breaking away from her usual Scandinavian illustrations and stories, Jan Brett embraces the beauty of China in this Story About Ping-inspired picture book. Bamboo poles frame the lavish illustrations of picturesque villages, strangely shaped mountains (Brett incorporates images of the animals into the ranges), and river-life characters. As in The Hat and her many other tales, Brett advances the plot with miniature border details. (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

Price: $6.99


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Fritz and the Beautiful Horses (Sandpiper Books)
Fritz, a pony excluded from the group of beautiful horses within the walled city, becomes a hero when he rescues the children of the city. Author: Jan Brett

Price: $5.95


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Annie and the Wild Animals
When Annie's cat disappears, she attempts friendship with a variety of unsuitable woodland animals. The borders of the pages foretell the emergence of spring and the birth of kittens. Author: Jan Brett

Price: $5.95


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The Mitten
A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that! What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox. If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway." When a tiny mouse squeezes in, her whiskers tickle the bear's nose. He sneezes, and "Aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!" all the animals fly out of their crocheted cave. As the mitten sails through the air, Nicki spots it, reclaims it, and takes it home to show his smiling Baba.

Jan Brett is the illustrator of many well-known folktales, fairy tales, and poems, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear. Her special signature in her detailed artwork is the intricate borders, seen in this book as birch-bark panels with embroidered details and mitten-shaped vignettes offering additional insights into the story line. Brett is at her best when she illustrates animals, and the expressions on the faces of her creatures are a delight. She carefully researched the costumes, furniture, and house in this traditional Ukrainian tale--all are authentic. A fine story to read on a frosty night with a cup of hot chocolate, and if you ever get your fill of The Mitten, you can always try its delightfully original companion book, The Hat, winner of the 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. (Ages 4 to 8)

Price: $15.99



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The Hat
Hedgie the hedgehog discovers the wisdom of the adage, "Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong" only after curiosity gets this prickly fellow in a pickle. When Lisa's red and white woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and sticks his nose inside, only to discover his prickles prevent him from pulling out of it. Soon all the farm animals are coming around to chuckle at silly Hedgie's stocking hat. But in the end, nimble-witted Hedgie gets the last laugh.

This magnificently illustrated companion book to artist (and hedgehog owner) Jan Brett's classic The Mitten was the winner of the prestigious 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Young readers can spend hours with this one short book, poring over the pleasing, spirited details of Brett's trademark picture borders. Throughout, Lisa can be seen in these artful frames, making preparations for the cold Scandinavian winter, never realizing that her clothesline is becoming more line than clothes. If it were possible to wrap oneself up in these warm, cozy illustrations, readers would be set for the winter. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Price: $15.99



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Hedgie's Surprise
Henny doesn't know what to do. Every morning the irksome gnomelike Tomten steals her egg and takes it home to cook in his kettle and gobble up for breakfast. But when she sees Goosey-Goosey sailing by with a gaggle of goslings, Henny is suddenly galvanized to do something. Will she never have chicks of her own? She consults her wise friend Hedgie the Hedgehog, who comes up with a clever plan guaranteed to give the Tomten a sharp lesson in appropriate behavior.

Jan Brett's trademark illustrations--detailed watercolors bordered by intricate needlepoint patterns---capture the charm and mischief of this Scandinavian-style folk tale set in Denmark. Each wide woven margin shows a hint in miniature of upcoming events: Hedgie crawling under Henny's brooding basket, or the enraged Tomten after being outwitted. Young readers will love guessing what Hedgie has up his proverbial sleeve, and will rejoice with Henny at the unusual hatching of her first brood of chicks. A warm, humorous, 100 percent satisfying story by the creator of many picture book favorites, such as The Hat and The Mitten. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

Price: $15.99



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Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury
Celebrate the joy, beauty, and magic of Christmas with this giant treasury of Jan Brett's best-loved, bestselling books. Universally renowned for her exquisitely framed, highly detailed picture books, Brett captures the essence of winter wonderlands in her stories about hedgehogs, trolls, reindeer, and tow-headed children. The stunning natural settings and enchanting characters are based on the traditions and stories of the countries she has visited, especially Norway and Denmark. This glorious collection includes seven of Brett's snowy classics: The Mitten, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Trouble with Trolls, The Twelve Days of Christmas, The Hat, Christmas Trolls, and The Night Before Christmas. What a treat! (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Price: $35.95


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On Noah's Ark
Jan Brett's intricate illustrations against a beautiful papyrus background make a stunning picture book of a favorite story-this time featuring Noah's granddaughter. As the floodwaters rise, she helps take the animals onto the ark and get them settled down. But it's not easy when giraffes are sleeping next to pandas and lions are curled up with turkeys. Finally the gentle rocking of the ark lulls them all to sleep until the waters recede and Grandpa Noah, his family, and all the animals leave the ark. This simple telling, combined with extraordinary illustrations of every animal imaginable, makes On Noah's Ark perfect for young and old.

Price: $15.99


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Gingerbread Baby
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!

Price: $7.99


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Jan Brett's Little Library (Jan Brett's Little Library)
Now you can savor all three Jan Brett board books in one beautifully illustrated gift set. Jan Brett's Little Library features three of her best-loved titles, The Mitten, The Hat, and Gingerbread Baby, available for the first time in board, together in a sturdy slipcase decorated with Jan's signature illustrations. A welcome addition to anyone's Jan Brett collection, it makes a perfect gift year round-for the holidays, for a new baby, for birthdays.

Price: $22.99


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The Umbrella
Jan Brett, well-loved for her ornate, Scandinavian-themed picture books takes her talents deep into the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica. A tropical twist on The Mitten, this story chronicles the antics of myriad animals that make themselves right at home in the handcrafted leaf umbrella that Carlos has left at the foot of a giant fig tree. As the tree frog, toucan, kinkajou, tapir, quetzal, monkey, and more pile into the umbrella, Carlos, who is visiting the cloud forest expressly to see these animals, doesn't see a single one. Things heat up when the impulsive monkey hurls the umbrella into the river: "'¿Qué pasa? What is happening?' Froggy asks as water starts to pour into the umbrella." Jaguar jumps in, adding to the confusion, but it's the addition of the tiniest of hummingbirds that causes the big "KER-SPLASH!" Brett's gorgeous, detailed watercolor and gouache illustrations steal the show here, from the exquisite endpapers to the vine-encased leafy side panels that reveal the tree-climbing boy on the left side and a sneak preview of the next umbrella-dwelling animal on the right side. Not Brett's best-crafted story, but her fans will want this lush offering anyway. (Ages 5 to 8) --Karin Snelson

Did You Know?
Fun Facts about Jan Brett
  • Each book begins with the art first.
  • Jan likes to listen to audiobooks while drawing--usually thrillers!
  • Each book takes about a year to complete.
  • The pages of each book are not created in sequence (she saves the front materials and endpapers for last).
  • Each book is carefully researched--she created The Umbrella after a trip with her husband to Costa Rica.
  • Jan prefers to use her memories of a place to create her art, rather than relying on pictures.

For Young Writers and Artists
Tips from Jan Brett
  • Want a reality check on your artwork? View your work in a mirror.
  • Be honest with yourself, and get comfortable with personal and private writing. Write in a notebook that no one sees but you.
  • Remember the things that happen to you now. It's okay to feel things strongly as a kid. You can use your emotions as part of the recipe for something later.



Price: $15.99



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Honey... Honey... Lion!
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?

Honey . . . Honey . . . Lion! will surely become a family favorite for readers of all ages.

Price: $15.99


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Teaching With Favorite Jan Brett Books: Engaging Activities That Build Essential Reading and Writing Skills and Explore the Them
Invite children to explore the stories and rich, detailed artwork of this popular author-illustrator. Includes a profile of Jan Brett; before- and after-reading discussion ideas; and activities that help kids build vocabulary, learn about genres, and explore story elements. Plus, extensions in science, social studies, math, poetry, and more.

Price: $11.99


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Berlioz the Bear
This is a cute little story. Berlioz is late for a concert and having trouble with his double bass to boot (a strange and unwanted buzzing noise accompanies his playing). The bandwagon gets stuck in a pot hole and the draft donkey just won't budge. A series of animals in increasing order of size and strength--from a rooster to an ox--think they are the solution, but all fail to move the donkey. In a surprising twist we discover the source of Berlioz' bass's buzzing and the donkey suddenly finds motivation. As a result, they make it on time and we learn that the ability to effect change does not always depend on size and strength. Very nicely illustrated. Each lavish page is framed with marginal drawings which show you the country folk gathering at the village in preparation for Berlioz' concert. This is a nice touch and heightens the drama. There's something almost Aesopian about this delightful book. Highly recommended; a great bed-time story. Reviewer: Trent Dougherty

Price: $6.99


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Town Mouse, Country Mouse
A story filled with suspense and humor, this classic tale of a town mouse and a country mouse takes a new twist in the imaginative and talented hands of Jan Brett. She introduces two engaging mouse couples eager to get away from their everyday lives. But when they agree to swap homes, they find unexpected adventures around every corner. Lush green scenes alternate with the elegant details of a fine Victorian townhouse to make a sumptuous and stunning picture book.

Price: $6.99


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