October 1, 2021
Colorful mittens require 18 steps of preparation, but they are a toasty warm reward. A redheaded, pale-skinned, freckled kid and an older, bearded figure with the same coloring are at an apple stand when the kid spots a sheep--and home they all go in their pickup truck. The sheep spends the winter in a cozy red barn with a pig and a hen, playing games and snuggling under a blanket. Spring brings a shearing, followed by cleaning, carding, and spinning. By now the process for crafting a pair of mittens is up to step No. 8, which is selecting a color to dye the yarn. This requires planting and tending marigolds, the chosen color source. And this requires a long wait. Dyeing the wool, knitting the mittens, and enjoying the winter are the very enjoyable results. The sprightly, colorful illustrations portray a smiley kid and equally happy animal friends who sip drinks, jump rope, and go downhill skiing and sledding. (There is a disclaimer on the copyright page concerning any injuries that might occur should readers try this with their own sheep.) The notably helpful sheep at the end sports its own matching hat, complete with pompom. While the actual knitting is confined to a couple sentences, the author does show that the sheep-to-mittens hands-on process involves many steps. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An enjoyable crafty excursion. (Picture book. 4-7)
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October 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 In a picture book with a rural setting, a girl offers advice for kids who, like her, want to knit mittens. It's a surprisingly lengthy process that unfolds in 18 steps (ironically including no knitting instructions) beginning with "Step 1: Get a sheep." While her father purchases apples from an orchard, she talks him into buying a sheep as well. Other steps involve sheep shearing, fleece washing, wool carding, spinning, dyeing, and eventually, "Get some knitting needles and learn to knit. Let your fingers fly. Click-clack! Slip-snip! Knit some mittens." In the final scene, the girl wears her mittens as she and her sheep sled down a snow-covered hill together. Throughout the story, the girl works hard, diligently following instructions, while the artwork reveals the rambunctious sheep, a piglet, and some chicks carrying out a series of shenanigans, just for fun. Salas' text sets a playful tone, and Matteson makes the most of it in the colorful, occasionally madcap illustrations. An appealing picture book about mitten making, with a good deal of merrymaking along the way.
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