Knit Together

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.

"I think knitting is much better than drawing." So says the narrator, a little girl who admires her mother's talent with needles more than she appreciates her own skill with crayons and pencils. ("Why? Because you can wear" knitted items.) When her mom tries to teach her to knit, both find that "it's not as easy as it looks." The lesson is shown on one spread, in five small vignettes, starting with enthusiasm and ending with frustration. A page turn reveals one large picture of the girl, tangled in blue yarn, with a single syllable to tell the whole story: "Hmph." The mother gently steers the frustration into collaboration -- little girl draws, mom knits -- and they come up with something special, "a drawing we can wear," which leads to a most satisfying ending. Dominguez's mixed-media illustrations, a bit childlike in style, add to the warm feel. Even the font appears handwritten by the pigtailed narrator. Each spread revolves around the imaginative protagonist, whether she is drawing, thinking of what she might create, or enjoying time with her mother. Creative types of all ages will enjoy sharing this book with each other. Lots of people knit or draw, but it is special when two artists work together. robin smith