In this wintry episode of NOOK Online Storytime, author Jan Brett reads The Mitten. A classic Ukrainian folktale retold and stunningly illustrated by Brett, The Mitten follows the adventures of little Nicki, who loses his white mitten in the snow -- and the curious crew of woodland animals who happen upon it and have their mischievous fun. On her official web site, Brett reveals that she decided to become an illustrator when she was a young child, and spent many hours reading and drawing. "I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books," she reflects. "Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I'm drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real." Note how our video shows off Brett's trademark style of using borders and panels to showcase intricate winter scenes that supplement the story. Learn more on the NO