A single mitten is excluded by a matching pair in this endearing picture book about friendship, belonging and the pressure to "match." For fans of The Day the Crayons Quit.

Dotty and Other Dotty are a matching set of mittens. When another mitten, Stripes, loses her partner and becomes a single mitten, they don't feel the need to include her. She doesn't "match" them, so she is banished to the dark, lonely pocket of the Little Girl who owns them. Before long, however, Dotty loses her partner, and now she doesn't match the reunited pair of Stripes and Other Stripes, who in turn banish her to the pocket. "YOU don't match!" they tell her.

When the Little Girl, who has been listening to their conversations, weighs in with a huge question ("Why do you have to match?"), the mittens are shocked. Then comes their realization that "matching" often means leaving someone out. This prompts the Little Girl to break a fundamental rule of fashion so that individual mittens (and maybe even socks! or shoes!) can be themselves — and everyone can belong.

A warm and fuzzy story with lots of laughs, this latest picture book from Linda Bailey explores what it feels like to be excluded and included and celebrates one-of-a-kindness!

Linda Bailey a jonglé longtemps avec l'idée d'écrire, mais ce n'est qu'après avoir eu ses deux filles qu'elle a lancé sa carrière d'auteure. Elle a écrit des albums, des romans et aussi des livres informatifs. Linda a beaucoup voyagé dans sa vie et ses livres aussi! Certains sont publiés en Chine, en Corée, en Australie, en Grèce, en Pologne et dans de nombreux autres pays.

Linda Bailey has written more than twenty books for children in a number of different genres, including the best-selling Stanley-the-dog series, Toads on Toast, and most recently, If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur (Si jamais tu avais un dinosaure...). Linda has garnered a long list of honours in Canada such as the Ontario Blue Spruce Award, the Atlantic Provinces Hackmatack Award and the Arthur Ellis Award. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

Linda Bailey's profile page

Natalia Shaloshvili's profile page

"A funny, yet thought-provoking picture book that is highly recommended for reading aloud.” —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"The over-arching themes of this witty, thought-provoking story are, of course, accepting differences and recognizing individual worthiness." —Kirkus Reviews
"Bailey’s story of inclusion and acceptance balances any didacticism with a playful tone." —The Horn Book
"Preschoolers will love being in on the joke, but elementary-aged readers will love this, too. It’s fast, funny, and true." —School Library Journal

"[H]eartwarming and illustrates the differences amongst us that contribute to everyone’s joyful experiences." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Linda Bailey has taken a familiar circumstance . . . and given us a heartfelt story of acceptance and inclusiveness. In The Three Little Mittens, what starts as animosity and discrimination, becomes friendship and support, with all the mittens belonging, and, even better, being welcomed as part of a new configuration" —CanLit for LittleCanadians

"The Three Little Mittens is a beautifully illustrated picture book that addresses important things such as inclusion, uniqueness, friendship, belonging and kindness." —Metroland

"Humorous childlike thoughts and joyful pictures align the book with other classics . . . Just sticking with mittens would have made the story seem more of a parable. When a Little Girl appears, the mittens, and the reader, begin to experience other possibilities." —Imaginary Elevators