Jan Brett

The traditional English folktale of The Three Little Pigs has been transplanted to the Namib Desert, and the pigs transformed into dassies—otherwise known as the rock hyrax, these small mammals are (despite their size) closely related to the elephant—in this charming picture book from author/illustrator Jan Brett. As sisters Mimbi, Pimbi and Timbi move away from the rest of their family, seeking a cooler home at the foot of the mountains, they each build a home for themselves: one made show more of woven grass, one made of sticks, and one made of rocks. When the local eagle begins to hunt them, the former two homes are quickly demolished, and their residents taken to the eagle's eyrie. It is the third home that stands the test, protecting its owner from attack. Fortunately for the two captured dassies, Agama Man the lizard effects an escape and all ends well, except perhaps for the eagle...

According to the rear dust-jacket flap, The 3 Little Dassies was inspired by a trip Jan Brett made with her husband to Namibia, during which she encountered these cute little creatures. Although sometimes leery of these kinds of transplanted tales, especially when such changes divorce a story from its own cultural context for no good reason, this particular storytelling transformation didn't really bother me. I think this is owing to three factors. First, the characters are animals rather than humans—nothing annoys me more than this mistaken notion that fairy and folklore needs to be made diverse by these kind of interventions, when world folklore is already diverse—second, Jan Brett's artwork is lovely and her storytelling appealing; and third, it felt as if the changes made had actual significance. Which is to say: the transformation actually served a storytelling purpose. As it happens, dassies do live in stone "houses," using the rocks in their native habitat to protect themselves from the eagles which hunt them. Thus the The Three Little Pigs story fits in well with the native reality of Namibia. This, as well as the eventual fate of the eagle (the stand-in here for the big bad wolf), whose feathers are singed black by the fire into which he attempts to dive, also turns this folktale into a pourquoi story, one which explains why the eagles of the region are black, and why dassies live amongst the rocks. Leaving that all aside, this was also just a charming tale, accompanied by lovely artwork. Recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts. show less

I'm normally a huge fan of Jan Brett's work, whether it's her traditional Eastern European themes or otherwise, but this book was hugely disappointing. Not only was the story of a hedgehog who wants to go to space trite and unengaging, but Brett's artwork wasn't even that good! Her animals are in her expected style, but there was no border decoration (a signature) and the background sure didn't enhance the story but instead distracted from the characters. I guess you can't win with every show more book, but this one was surely a miss. show less

Hoppi the bunny is determined to make the best Easter Egg this year, in the hopes of being chosen to accompany the Easter Bunny on his annual pilgrimage to hide eggs for the children of the world. As he makes his way through Rabbit Town, he encounters many other rabbits working on their own ovate creations. From Aunt Sassyfrass, who is crafting a delicious and decorative chocolate egg, to Hans Vanderabbit, who has painted a beautiful portrait of the Easter Bunny on his egg, every rabbit show more appears to have created a small masterpiece. Wandering into the nearby woods, where he stops to rest and think, Hoppi eventually comes to the realization that while he might not create the best egg ever, he must do the best he can. No sooner does he make this resolution, than he is confronted with a small tragedy: a pretty blue egg has fallen from a robin's nest. Abandoning his plans, Hoppi comes to the rescue, keeping the little egg warm until it is time to hatch. Has he lost all chance of being recognized by the Easter Bunny, or will his egg surprise everyone...?

An immensely sweet little tale, one which pairs a heart-warming narrative that feels rather reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches the Egg, and beautifully detailed artwork, The Easter Egg is a wonderful holiday picture-book, one which takes a fun holiday tradition and adds a little moral depth. I appreciated the message, implicit in Brett's story, that our acts of kindness, and the good things they accomplish in the world, are our best creation - far more important and more beautiful than the greatest work of art. That said, there is no shortage of beautiful art here, and Brett delivers her usual rich array of intricately detailed animal scenes. She utilizes a variety of breeds of rabbit in her depiction of the residents of Rabbit Town, emphasizing the diversity of types found in the lapine world, and costumes her characters in lovely and diverse clothing styles. As always with her books, the side panels in her artwork add to the rich visual feast she has to offer, and enhance the feeling of looking into a fully realized world. Recommended to anyone looking for good picture-books featuring Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny. show less

When his pug Ari is less than thrilled with the Christmas sweater his Yiayia made for her, Theo decides that the best thing to do is to go on a long trek through the snow, thereby convincing the little dog that the bright piece of knitwear will keep her warm. Snowshoeing to the nearby lake with Ari in a backpack, Theo is dismayed to discover they've lost the sweater along the way, and that the fast-falling snow has started to bury their tracks, which he meant to follow back home. show more Fortunately, he discovers that the sweater, which has been unraveling behind them, has provided a path to follow. In the meantime, some magpies—depicted in the side panels—have been hard at work with the decorations from the sweater, leading a wonderful surprise upon their return...

Published just last year (2025), The Christmas Sweater is author/illustrator Jan Brett's latest picture book featuring a wintry wonderland setting and a Christmastime story. Having read and enjoyed many of her other titles, I immediately requested this one from the library, when I discovered its existence. I'm glad I did, as it's a winsome little book, pairing an engaging story inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with wonderfully detailed and expressive illustrations capturing the wintry beauty of the world around Theo and Ari. As is often the case with Brett's artwork, there are decorative borders throughout—this time done in yarn, appropriately enough—and side panels which tell a parallel story (the magpies gathering the sweater's decorations) that joins with the main narrative in a satisfying way. Recommended to Jan Brett fans, and to anyone seeking fun new Christmas stories featuring children and their dog companions and/or wintry woodland scenes. show less