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The Christmas Sweater

Author Jan Brett
Illustrated by Jan Brett
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Hardcover
$19.99 US
10.56"W x 8.69"H x 0.39"D   | 15 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Nov 25, 2025 | 32 Pages | 9780593533918
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3

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#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the beloved author and illustrator behind the wintertime classic The Mitten comes an adventurous Christmas tale of a boy and his adorable pug who saves the day with his holiday sweater.

“Brett’s legions of fans will delight in this new Christmastime story, with plenty to pore over in the detailed, wintry illustrations.” —Kirkus Reviews


It’s Christmas morning, and Theo’s Yiayia has knitted his dog, Ari, a special red sweater. But when Ari shows his disinterest in the gift, Theo steps in to show his grandmother just how much they appreciate her kindness. He proposes a hike to Echo Lake, just him and Ari, where he can use his new snowshoes and Ari can sport his new sweater!

The woods are a winter wonderland, and more snow swirls as they hike. But just when they reach the lake, Theo realizes Ari’s sweater has disappeared, along with their tracks and every familiar landmark. Could they have lost Yiayia’s gift and the way home?

Luckily, Ari spots something in the snow that turns out to be a surprising solution to their predicament. And when they get home, they find an even bigger surprise from that amazing Christmas sweater.

Jan Brett’s story of the bond between boy and dog radiates warmth and charm, while her signature border details hint at a final Christmas miracle sure to wow any crowd. The Christmas Sweater is a beautiful tale that’s sure to become an instant Christmas classic in every household.
“In Ms. Brett’s signature style, the illustrations are arranged in ornamented panels so that readers ages 4 to 9 can see the main action of the story while also gaining glimpses of subordinate plot developments. Each festive panel is set off here by coils of knitting wool, which hint (like the name of the dog) at what ultimately happens. As the pair traverse the snowy woods, Ari’s sweater snags on a branch and starts to unravel. . . The boy, having been fearful of getting lost, finds the way home again by following the thread of red yarn—only to discover . . . a wonderful Christmas surprise.” —Wall Street Journal

“A merry choice for Christmastime . . . Brett’s legions of fans will delight in this new Christmastime story, with plenty to pore over in the detailed, wintry illustrations.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A pup’s unloved Christmas gift saves the day in Brett’s homespun tale. . . Winding red yarn frames the creator’s signature-style realistic paintings, while side vignettes draw attention to activity happening on the margins of scenes, particularly zeroing in on some magpies who play a key role in creating a closing bit of Christmas magic." —Publishers Weekly
With more than 44 million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation’s foremost illustrators of children’s books.  As a child, she decided to be an illustrator and spent much of her time reading and drawing. As a student at the Boston Museum School, Jan spent many hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. Travel is also a constant inspiration, so with her husband, Joe Hearne, who was a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts. View titles by Jan Brett

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About

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the beloved author and illustrator behind the wintertime classic The Mitten comes an adventurous Christmas tale of a boy and his adorable pug who saves the day with his holiday sweater.

“Brett’s legions of fans will delight in this new Christmastime story, with plenty to pore over in the detailed, wintry illustrations.” —Kirkus Reviews


It’s Christmas morning, and Theo’s Yiayia has knitted his dog, Ari, a special red sweater. But when Ari shows his disinterest in the gift, Theo steps in to show his grandmother just how much they appreciate her kindness. He proposes a hike to Echo Lake, just him and Ari, where he can use his new snowshoes and Ari can sport his new sweater!

The woods are a winter wonderland, and more snow swirls as they hike. But just when they reach the lake, Theo realizes Ari’s sweater has disappeared, along with their tracks and every familiar landmark. Could they have lost Yiayia’s gift and the way home?

Luckily, Ari spots something in the snow that turns out to be a surprising solution to their predicament. And when they get home, they find an even bigger surprise from that amazing Christmas sweater.

Jan Brett’s story of the bond between boy and dog radiates warmth and charm, while her signature border details hint at a final Christmas miracle sure to wow any crowd. The Christmas Sweater is a beautiful tale that’s sure to become an instant Christmas classic in every household.

Praise

“In Ms. Brett’s signature style, the illustrations are arranged in ornamented panels so that readers ages 4 to 9 can see the main action of the story while also gaining glimpses of subordinate plot developments. Each festive panel is set off here by coils of knitting wool, which hint (like the name of the dog) at what ultimately happens. As the pair traverse the snowy woods, Ari’s sweater snags on a branch and starts to unravel. . . The boy, having been fearful of getting lost, finds the way home again by following the thread of red yarn—only to discover . . . a wonderful Christmas surprise.” —Wall Street Journal

“A merry choice for Christmastime . . . Brett’s legions of fans will delight in this new Christmastime story, with plenty to pore over in the detailed, wintry illustrations.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A pup’s unloved Christmas gift saves the day in Brett’s homespun tale. . . Winding red yarn frames the creator’s signature-style realistic paintings, while side vignettes draw attention to activity happening on the margins of scenes, particularly zeroing in on some magpies who play a key role in creating a closing bit of Christmas magic." —Publishers Weekly

Author

With more than 44 million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation’s foremost illustrators of children’s books.  As a child, she decided to be an illustrator and spent much of her time reading and drawing. As a student at the Boston Museum School, Jan spent many hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. Travel is also a constant inspiration, so with her husband, Joe Hearne, who was a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts. View titles by Jan Brett

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