The Mitten String

JENNIFER ROSNER is the author of an adult memoir, If a Tree Falls, her story of raising two deaf daughters in a talking family and a hearing world. The Mitten String was inspired by the story of a deaf ancestor whom she discovered in the course of researching her family tree. She has written for The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, The Jewish Daily Forward, and other publications.

Jennifer lives in Western Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at
jennifer-rosner.com.

KRISTINA SWARNER is an award-winning illustrator of more than a dozen books, among them Gathering Sparks and The Bedtime Sh’ma, both of which won Sydney Taylor Book Awards.

Kristina lives in Chicago. Visit her at kristinaswarner.com.

K-Gr 3—The Tobers raise sheep, and young Ruthie loves to knit mittens from their wool for the villagers. When her family befriends a deaf woman whose wagon has broken down and her baby, the child observes how the mother, Bayla, sleeps with a string tied between her own wrist and Aaron's, to alert her if her son wakes up in the night. Inspired, Ruthie knits the pair a set of baby- and mother-sized mittens connected by a string and goes on to make more for the local children to keep them from losing their mittens. "You are both clever and kind," her mother praises. "You make our world a bit better with every stitch." The character of Bayla is based on the author's great-great-aunt; Rosner also has two deaf daughters. It is not surprising, therefore, that her portrayal of deafness is extremely respectful and sensitive. When Bayla uses sign language with Aaron, "To Ruthie, it looked as if Bayla were standing before an invisible spinning wheel, her words flowing from her fingers like delicate strands of yarn." Swarner's rounded and gentle watercolor prints add to the safe, warm feeling of this story of resourcefulness and mutual admiration. The "old country" Jewish setting is subtle, giving the story flavor without dominating it. Knitting and sign-language glossaries round out this attractive title. This beautiful story of kindness, acceptance, and resourcefulness will have wide appeal.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL