(2) PS Should Wuddles the sheep worry? Well, yes. A little yellow duckling who insists that the big, woolly sheep needn't be concerned is literally fleecing its barnmated--with the best intentions, however. Winter is coming, and the duckling needs a bit of wool for a scarf: "Mind if I take this, Wuddles? You have plenty of wool." Indeed Wuddles does have plenty; the sheep's placid face peeks out from a cloud of white. Next the duckling notices that the rooster needs a hat, the rabbit some earmuffs, the goat a pair of leg warmers, and so on. Readers will quickly catch on and enjoy guessing what the duckling decides to make for each successive­ animal. The text consists entirely of the busybody duckling's reassuring­ monologue­ as it sets out to ensure that the denizens of the barn are suitably equipped for winter. Wisp by wisp, the fleece is pulled from Wuddles's coat and fashioned into fluffy accessories--and the sheep's expression­ becomes more and more worried. Inevitably, the final pages display the result of the duckling's handiwork: wool-clad animals and a near-naked sheep. Never fear, Wuddles: a group hug will keep everyone warm. Though this barnyard outing­ lacks the sublime physical comedy of Judge's nearly wordless romps (such as Red Sled), her mastery of the expressive animal face is on full display. No worries here.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 "It's hard to knit a sweater with your hooves." The opening line of this animal fable sounds like a piece of gnomic wisdom, but in fact it simply refers to protagonist Hakim, a friendly-looking donkey who is knitting a sweater for his friend Daisy, who lives on the top of a mountain. "Hard" it may be, but obviously not impossible, because one page-turn later we see Hakim tucking the completed blue sweater into his colorful tapestry saddlebag before heading off to deliver his gift. The first character he meets on the narrow, foggy mountain path is a doom-predicting goat who warns against the mountain's monsters. Hakim is unflappable when he sees monstrous silhouettes appearing in the mist and, sure enough, they all turn out to be benign, if odd. Every encounter is a witty and wacky visual joke. The creatures join Hakim on his journey and are present for the final big reveal, a surprise that turns the tale inside out and undercuts an overly neat moral. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are dramatically composed, full of humor, and punctuated with mysterious glowing fog. A book that is perfect for storytime and, with its clean design and accessible text, also for new readers.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard. During WWII, Sam and Keiko's class is knitting socks for U.S. soldiers. Before Keiko's family is sent to an internment camp, kindly Keiko leaves behind a note and a pair of hand-knitted socks for Sam's soldier brother. Sam (whose family is Jewish) determinedly makes a scarf to mail to Keiko in return, the phrase come home safely taking on new meaning for him. Many of the border-framed illustrations aptly look like vintage photographs. Appended with information about internment camps.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Renata Liwska. Llama is inspired to create "Something special. Something lovely." Her friends (Rabbit, Raccoon, Deer, etc.) join her, quilting, beading, painting, and weaving as she knits. Then Beaver arrives, and his need to create something "useful" prompts Llama to consider how her knitting might be put to practical use. Gauzy, pastel-colored pencil illustrations reflect the animals' gentle activities and calm friendships as they share their "special, crafty, useful" talents.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 After she tugs on a mysterious red string, young Lucy finds that she has unraveled the bottom half of a red bear's fur. The bear is not amused by a series of string-abetted sight gags that Lucy contrives in order to charm him. Readers will be engaged by the string's many permutations, but the black-and-white mixed-media art surrounding the inventively used red is bland.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Greta the goat thinks herself a masterful knitter. When Greta accidentally knits a hungry wolf who swallows Mrs. Sheep whole, Greta knits a tiger to take care of the wolf; when the tiger threatens Greta, she knits an enormous monster... Spare, gestured line drawings depict the cloven-hoofed characters and richly textured painting shows the needlework in this ebullient Dutch import, a winning take on the traditional cumulative story.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nina Cuneo. Clarissa can't sleep so she begins counting sheep...then alpacas (by twos), llamas (by fives), and yaks (by tens). Soon Clarissa's bedroom overflows with woolly animals; she unwinds their wool, subtracting them as she goes and ending up with a huge ball of yarn--perfect for knitting a cozy afghan. Although the cheerful, pattern-filled illustrations have appeal, the text introduces an ambitious number of concepts.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Illustrated by Yara Kono. In association with Amnesty International. A family searching for political and educational freedom instead finds itself in a society limited by conformity; but the mother takes boring, solid-color sweaters--offered only in green, orange, and gray--and makes fantastically patterned sweaters, inspiring others. Based on a family from dictator-led Portugal exiled in Communist Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, the allegorical picture book features graphically strong three-color illustrations.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Book-lover Wooliam and knitter Baabwaa are sheep best friends looking for an adventure. They meet a wolf in sheep's clothing whom Wooliam teaches to read and Baabwaa knits a new coat for...when the wolf isn't chasing them ("he is just following his nature"). Elliott's matter-of-fact tone blends humorously with Sweet's playful mixed-media illustrations in this offbeat tale of unlikely new friendship.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 An elderly knitter, a cat, a baby, and a dog each find pleasure in a pink hat before it reaches a girl who wears it to what looks like the 2017 Women's March (the event is mentioned only in an endnote), where "everyone else wore one, too!" Naturally, readers needn't be politically aware to enjoy following the pink hat's misadventures across otherwise black-and-white pages.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Graphic novelist Brosgol makes an impressive picture-book debut with this inventive story about an old woman's quest to knit in peace. Repetition grounds the out-of-this-world elements (fleeing "little green moon men"; entering a wormhole); Brosgol's richly colored illustrations in an autumnal palette also place us in familiar folktale territory, combining an early-twentieth-century Eastern European vibe with a contemporary sense of humor.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(2) K-3 Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Elderly Mrs. Goldman loves making hats for the keppies (heads) of babies in their neighborhood; her young next-door neighbor Sophia embellishes each hat with pom-poms. It's their mitzvah, or "good deed." One cold, windy day, Sophia wonders where Mrs. Goldman's own hat is, so she knits one for her friend. Karas's precise, unfussy mixed-media illustrations in muted hues enhance Edwards's ode to intergenerational friendship.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(4) PS Cat is enamored with his new red-and-white ball friend, Yarn. When Girl transforms Yarn into an itchy sweater for Cat, he is not a fan. The didactic tale includes an explicit message: "Warming up to something new takes time. / Yarn may have changed, but they would always be friends." Simple charcoal and crayon illustrations colored digitally emphasize Cat's humorous varied expressions.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Leslie Lammle. Young Ned likes to knit, which doesn't make him popular among his gruff pirate shipmates. But when a ferocious ocean beast attacks the Rusty Heap, the predictable happens: Ned's hobby saves the day, and everyone learns a lesson about acceptance. The tone is kept light by bouncy rhymes with scrappy pirate speak and the illustrations' soft, seafoamy colors and smiley, rounded swashbucklers.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) PS An enterprising young knitter repeatedly asks a black sheep if it has any wool. Each time, the sheep happily obliges with the traditional three bags full; the following spread shows how the wool gets used. Cabrera's twist on the nursery rhyme is accessible and funny--preschoolers will enjoy, for example, the sheep's increasing nakedness, and embarrassment, as the wool is donated.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) PS A little girl admires her mother's knitting talent more than her own drawing skills. When her mom tries to teach her to knit, both find that "it's not as easy as it looks." Mom gently steers frustration into collaboration; together they come up with something special ("a drawing we can wear") in a satisfying ending. Mixed-media illustrations add to the warm feel.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(3) YA When anxious seventeen-year-old Ben Fletcher is put on probation, he takes up knitting to satisfy one of the requirements and finds that he has untapped natural talent. It's a talent he's desperate to keep secret but also one that leads to surprising social victories. Easton is generous with humor and absurdity, and Ben's voice is clear and consistent throughout.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Snow Bunny and her animal friends enjoy an active winter romp of sledding, skating, and more until one by one the animals head for home. "I'm c-c-c-cold," Fox explains, leading Snow Bunny to knit her chilly pals warm woolen attire as Christmas gifts. The sentimental tale, appealingly illustrated with glittery forest landscapes and cozy habitats, unsubtly reinforces lessons of generosity and friendship.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) PS Illustrated by Helen Craig. When her farm animals get cold, Bonnie Bumble knits for them. The sun comes back to see what's happening, and he gets a hat, too. A very simple and nicely repetitive text consists of short sentences or fragments; the animals' sounds indicate their shivering ("m-m-m-moo"; "cl-cl-cl-cluck"). Craig's ink and watercolor illustrations of the animals in their winter wear are playful and endearing.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. When Judy gets "in a mood" again, she challenges herself be cheerful for a whole week. Whenever things get rough she resorts to finger knitting. By Good Mood Day #7 she has a gigantic ball of yarn and a wonderful surprise for her math class. Always-relatable Judy's efforts to fight off irritation are hilarious; Reynolds captures the high points in his expressive black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley