(2) K-3 Rose's grandfather is a rug weaver, working mornings in a factory and weaving in the afternoon for friends and family on his at-home loom. Rose loves watching Baba joon's deft hands tie thousands of knots that become a beautiful garden of wool. Taking inspiration from their own garden, Rose draws a design for a rug, which Baba joon cheerfully agrees to teach her to weave. The two make colorful dyes from the garden -- using poppies for red, saffron for yellow, roses for pink, and indigo for blue. Then they dry the dyed yarn in their sunny courtyard. They work side by side, day after day, Baba joon knotting "quickly, quickly" and Rose "slowly, slowly," until one day he falls ill. Rose decides to finish the half-done rug, envisioning the two of them having tea in the garden together, sitting on the rug after it is completed. When Baba joon gets better, roles reverse as Rose now ties quickly and Baba joon more slowly. Kheiriyeh's affectionate narrative of intergenerational love, learning, and appreciation of beauty is based on her own experience with her beloved grandfather in Iran and the artistry of his craft. Textured illustrations in oil and acrylics lean into the natural color palette, while details such as furnishings and architectural elements add atmosphere.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Saunders, a member of the Gunai people, writes about weaving, water, and wisdom in this picture book first published in Australia. The spare and straightforward text describes yarning, which can refer both to fiber arts and to storytelling. "We are here to collect the vines. Here to find the rushes, to fuse the fibers...to soak and split. To roll between finger and thumb. To yarn...to knot and loop. Here to form bonds, to make ties...to unite." Saunders's understated prose alludes to traditional ecological knowledge passed down by women elders, to rising sea levels and cultural displacement produced by the climate crisis, and to the need to join together to effect change. Blackwood's illustrations combine saturated details with soft-edged blending and warm, earthy tones with deep verdigris teals and sea-glass greens. Scenes of the familiar, realistic landscape (a creek flows through a concrete drain and past industrial sites, skateboarding teens, graffitied walls, and tent encampments) give way to images of the community weaving together and then to the luminous humpback whale-shaped rafts they've created, which "rise above" the storm -- the world we live in. Blackwood uses weaving patterns (inspired by references "from all over the globe") to especially magical effect in embellishing these whale-rafts that float into the night sky: "We are here to fly, here to shape this world together."

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. Sumi's mother switches effortlessly between Malayalam, a regional language from Kerala, India, and English. She speaks Malayalam to Sumi's grandmother, a mix of English and Malayalam to Sumi, and English to others outside the family. Sumi reflects on how her mother's two languages are "woven together like a fine cloth." She knows her mother worked hard to develop proficiency in English, but when she moved to America, unfamiliar words and phrases made her "two tongues" feel like they "were twisted into pretzels." As Sumi travels between America and India, she too works hard to learn two languages and connect with those around her. In awe of this apparent "superpower," she hopes to learn many more languages in order to "speak with people who live in every part of the world." Menon's respectful story highlights the power of multilingualism and examines the link between accents and identity. Bell's tactile mixed-media illustrations incorporate an inventive representation of textiles, fonts, and images reflecting each locale, from a scene of boating in Kerala to a snowy day in America. A diverse cast of characters with a variety of skin tones underscores the focus on multilingualism and multiculturalism. A thought-provoking look at the connecting power of language.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova. "Click. Clack. / Swish-- / pull back. / Bobbin and heddle, / foot pedal, no slack." A rhyming, rhythmic text, meant to mimic the sounds of a modern floor loom, uses a child's first-person voice to explore the practice of weaving through history, highlighting some of the many cultures practicing this art. From page to page, with weaving as the through line, a child toys with the yarn, making connections and imagining her way around the world (beginning with China and the silkworm) while her elder works at the loom, turning the story into a metaphorical global tapestry. Gouache illustrations in contrasting reds and blues play with the ideas and concepts mentioned in the text in a fanciful way. The girl and her cat peek out from behind pottery featuring Egyptian settings, the text chanting, "It sings of flaxen fibers spun / by fingers deft and proud-- / threads destined for a dancer's robes / or for a pharaoh's shroud." While readers would need to have a firm understanding of world history to recognize all the visual and textual cues, extensive back matter expands on each cultural tradition and the time period. Author and illustrator notes include details about their intentions and research in this broad sweep of appreciation and respect for the craft of handmade textiles across cultures.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan. A young girl describes a beloved summertime­ tradition for her Armenian­ family. Guided by Bábo, or Grandmother,­ four children jump into action to "soak, soap, and wash" their treasured family rugs. The three siblings and a neighbor know exactly what to do: they gather their brushes, smother the rugs in bubbles and water, and brush the suds out before flipping the rugs over for a second cleaning. The kids and a dog twirl, slide, and dance together over the frothy surfaces. When at last the rugs are rinsed and drying, everyone goes inside for a special summertime treat. The text invites every sense to the experience: the sounds of the brushes ("bop-bop-bop"), the smell of the hot air ("like rose jam"), and the feeling of bubbles under toes ("so pleasant and just a little cold"). The digitally rendered illustrations are lively and full of specificity; occasional aerial views show the intricate details of the traditional handwoven rugs. A glossary provides translations and pronunciations of Artsakh Armenian words peppered through the text; the author's note and back matter provide more information about this story and the traditions behind it. A lovely reminder that fun can be found in the most seemingly mundane of tasks.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) PS In this retelling of an Aesop's fable, three elderly sisters don their patched-up coats--yellow, blue, and red--and head out for a walk. The next two spreads are vertically oriented: readers turn the book to the right to see the depiction of the Sun shining with joy upon the women; in the next spread they turn it left to see the petulant North Wind. The Sun and North Wind agree to see which one can remove the sisters' coats. The North Wind wreaks havoc, but the sisters, who hold fast to their coats throughout the onslaught, recognize the "lies," "spitefulness," "mockery," "pity," and "loneliness" inherent in his taunts. The gentle heat of the Sun, however, prompts the sisters to remove their coats. Stead writes with a spare and eloquent lyricism. He weaves a tender memory motif with the notion of threads--"memories began to unspool like brightly colored thread"--and the yellow, blue, and red both of the birds who leave and then return and of the sisters' clothing. At one point, the sisters wave to the birds and "wove the sight into a memory to be kept for later." Stead's line work is beguiling: the scribbly North Wind conveys anger and chaos; scenes with the Sun contain delicate lines as well as warm, gentle hues in colored pencils. A moving and welcome retelling, like a breath of fresh air.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat. The narrator and her sister marvel at the beautiful saris that Ammi (mother) and Abba (father) make to sell at the haat (market); an intricate and laborious art form, one sari can take months to complete. The girls decide that Ammi deserves to keep one for herself--and when their piggybank savings don't cover the cost, they raise the rest themselves. A sweet family story about appreciation, sacrifice, and generational traditions is woven into an overview of this centuries-old regional artisanship in Northern India. The bright digital illustrations do justice to the rich colors and patterns of sari-weaving. More about "The Saris of Kaithoon" and a glossary are appended.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Heidi, a stick insect, is "tall and long like the twig of a tree." It's her first day at Bug School, but she blends into her surroundings so well that no one notices her. Finally, one student tries to incorporate Heidi into a weaving project, and Heidi makes her presence known. Lighthearted details in the mixed-media illustrations depict a busy classroom of insects and arachnids.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS When rain wipes out spider Stanley's elaborate web and his collection of "precious things" woven into it, he's left with just a heart-shaped leaf...which is enough to inspire a new masterpiece. This story quietly champions stick-to-itiveness and finding beauty in the quotidian: in Shi's fastidious art, the web's found objects (a button, a pop-tab, etc.) are no less lovely than its natural elements.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lin Wang. This lyrical adaptation of a popular Japanese folkloric theme is enhanced by original haiku, written in the voices of the crane girl, the boy who rescues her and later becomes a crane himself (in Manley's version), and the greedy father who opens the door against the girl's wishes as she weaves. Accomplished watercolors contain historical details of Japan. Comprehensive author's notes included.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault. A woman magically weaves memories, feelings, and sensations into cloth and makes an exquisite dress. Piece by piece, she removes those vital, unique parts to satisfy a local merchant's limited vision; when the weaver's children create a beautiful quilt from the discarded pieces, everyone wants one. With soft, lovely illustrations, this folkloric-feeling original story emphasizes staying true to one's creativity. Quilting ideas are appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Graef. In seventeenth-century Paris, a talented girl creates a tapestry based on a painting by her father. King Louis XIV commissions a larger version for Versailles, even though females at the king's factory aren't permitted to be weavers. This story reveals the complexity of weaving, while realistic paintings capture the period and help elucidate the artistic process. An author's note and pronunciation guide are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. Ixchel wants to sell woven fabrics to help pay for her schooling, but there's no extra thread. After failed attempts with other materials, Ixchel discovers that she can weave using colorful plastic grocery bags discarded on the roadside. An inspiring story (with an intelligent Spanish translation) combines beautifully with bright illustrations faithful to the Guatemalan Mayan weaving traditions this book celebrates. Author's note appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. A young boy can spin clouds into beautiful cloth. His mother taught him prudence--"Enough is enough and not one stitch more"--but a greedy king demands an excess of fine clothing. When the clouds run out, causing a drought, the princess helps the boy make things right. Jay's familiar crackle-varnished art strengthens Catchpool's whimsical cautionary tale of avarice.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nicole Wong. Wild Rose runs through meadows and rivers, playing with sheep and frolicking in the wind and rain while her grandmother entreats her to learn to weave. When she finally does, she sees that Grandmother has put all of her own experiences into her weaving. Life and art become intertwined in this poetic (if purposeful) book, illustrated with gentle paintings that portray idyllic rural life.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) YA When modern-day teenager Tessa pulls a loose thread from an old tapestry, a handsome, imperious young man, Will, appears. He hails from sixteenth-century England, where a witch had trapped him in the tapestry as a unicorn so she could steal his vitality. Charismatic heroine Tessa's story is suspenseful, romantic, and very funny. In true fairy-tale fashion, there's also a happy ending.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(3) 4-6 Rosalba, nine, lives in a Mayan community in rural Mexico. She worries about her group's way of life when bulldozers invade the forest and its wildlife--not to mention when she finds out that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012. Rosalba draws her strength from traditional culture in an uncertain new world throughout this thoughtful book. An author's note is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(2) 4-6 Golden Mountain Chronicles series. In 1835, hard-working Swallow, with her mother and sister Lily, raises silkworms. In 1881, Lily's granddaughter learns of the great-aunt (Swallow) who sold herself into slavery so her family could survive. As the story continues, each generation of women, silk workers all, sacrifices for the sake of family. It all comes together to build a coherent and affecting portrait.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old Sydelle, a gifted weaver, lands in the middle of a political and magical melee when the king dies mysteriously. A strange wizard whisks Sydelle away from her village, using her as a tool to prevent all-out war. Although the thinly written narrative leaves puzzling gaps in the story's development, its themes of romance, ingenuity, and self-discovery make for an enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. All day, the weaver watches Earth from above, weaving what she sees into a wondrous coat full of memories; the coat "drifts down" from the nighttime sky, bringing protection to the sleeping people below. Hurd's abstract text is lyrical and dreamy. Kleven's vivid, exuberant paintings draw readers in to search for tiny images from Earth repeated in the fabric.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert