Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Cultures: Austrian, deaf
Time period: 1800s

A lovely tale of observation and kindness. Ruthie and her family were known to warm the hands of the village because they kept sheep and sold their wool. Ruthie enjoyed knitting with her mother and selling mittens to the townsfolk. When Ruthie's family invites a deaf woman and her baby to stay the night after her husband went to get help for their broken wagon, Ruthie observes a beautiful piece of string connecting the mother and the baby. She must know what it's for! Rosner provides a unique story line that can provide a complimentary element to discussions on deaf culture and historical daily life.