Yarn Along 12

I'm still reading and crocheting the same things as last week, so rather than take an identical picture, I thought I'd share some of the most-requested children's books of the week. (See my tiny heart there on Katy? I'm getting better at them...)

Lucy and I have been reading Nancy Tafuri's Snowy, Flowy, Blowy over and over. As always, we love her illustrations, especially of animals. And this book is of particular interest to Lucy right now because it's about the months of the year. It's almost Lucy's birthday, and she loves talking about when all her favorite people's birthdays are. So when I read "February; flowy," she says "me in February!" and when I read "March; blowy," she says "Mommy in March! Me remember!" etc.

And, of course, we're reading Katy and the Big Snow right now, as our town gets covered in snow much like Geopolis. If you don't know Virginia Lee Burton, run out to the library right now and get some of her books! They're treasures. There is so much to discover in the details and margins of the illustrations, and so much to talk about. I look forward to reading them over and over as she grows, because there's much more to discover and discuss later, though the story is engaging and beloved right now too.

Yarn-along participants should especially enjoy Five Little Foxes and the Snow, by Tony Johnston and Cyndy Szekeres. It's a sweet story about a family of foxes who want to go out to play in the snow, but Gramma keeps them inside because "your paws will be cold," suggesting other pastimes "while I knit--click, click--by the fire." In the end, Christmas arrives, with new mittens for all the foxes, and out they go to play in the snow. I love the illustrations of their cozy nestled-in-tree-roots home, the play and reading and painting and baking going on, and of course, all the knitting! (That's not an affiliate link; just trying to find it somewhere to show you.)

Last is Charlie Needs a Cloak, by Tomi dePaola. Again, perfect for those who love yarn! Charlie the shepherd needs a cloak, because his sheep have nibbled his to shreds. So he sheers, washes, cards, dyes, spins, weaves, sews, etc., until he has a beautiful new red cloak. We love watching the whole process, laugh at the sheep's reluctance to share their wool, delight in watching a mouse sneak off with many small objects from Charlie's home, and giggle to see the sheep start to nibble the new cloak right away. I think this is one of the best see-the-process books I've come across.

Check out other books and works-in-progress at Ginny's Yarn-Along!