This undated publicity photo provided by Tanglewood Press shows the cover of author Audrey Penn's book, "The Kissing Hand." (AP Photo/Tanglewood Press)
December 21, 2012 - 9:57 AM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - A Connecticut mom is turning to a children's classic and her fellow knitters to help Sandy Hook Elementary students when they walk into their new school.
Kim Piscatelli of East Hampton, Conn., came up with the idea to send each child a copy of "The Kissing Hand" and a pair of handmade mittens adorned with a heart in one palm.
The heart signifies the kiss left by the mother of a scared raccoon Chester in the book when he does not want to go to school.
Piscatelli's idea spread quickly on Facebook and websites for knitters and crafters. Now she has a warehouse of 1,600 books ready to deliver the first week of January. Knitters from California to Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands are working to make enough mittens.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012