Jan Brett, The Christmas Sweater with Rainy Day Books

This event takes place in Unity Temple's Sanctuary and includes a half-hour drawing demonstration followed by an opportunity to get your book signed (limited to the first 275 check-ins).

Arrive early! The first 100 families in the signing line will receive a free signed Jan Brett poster.

Jan will do her very best to sign all of the books that time permits. The number of books that Jan can sign per family depends on how many people come to the signing. If time does not permit Jan to sign every book, Rainy Day Books will have special signed bookplates featuring Jan’s full-color artwork for all of the extra books.

The Christmas Sweater

A new Christmas classic from Jan Brett with an adventurous boy and an adorable pug in a Christmas sweater who saves the day!

Yiayia is thrilled with the fantastically adorned Christmas sweater she made for her grandson’s dog, Ariadne. Her grandson Theo loves it too, but he can tell Ari does not feel the same way. Luckily, Theo knows exactly what will show her just how cozy and warm the sweater is—a hike to Echo Lake. And he can wear his new snowshoes!

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.

Drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, 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.

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.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 West 47th Street, Kansas City, United States