Description
A woman shares imaginative stories and gifts – all from her big, old story blanket – in this charmingly illustrated tale of community, friendship, and kindness.
Babba Zarrah lives in a tiny village in the snow-covered mountains, and the children love to visit her. They settle down on her big, old story blanket and listen to her imaginative tales.
One day, Babba Zarrah notices that Nikolai needs new socks, but she has no yarn. “Every question has an answer,” Babba Zarrah tells herself, “I just have to find it.” So after the children leave, she unravels part of her story blanket and knits him some nice warm socks.
As villagers start receiving mysterious gifts to keep them warm, the story blanket gets smaller and smaller until the children have nothing to sit on at story time. When the villagers finally discover Babba Zarrah’s secret, they decide to give her a surprise of her own.
This heartwarming story from Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz is a wonderful read-aloud experience, rich with themes of community, sharing, generosity, and kindness – with a touch of upcycling. Paired with Elena Odriozola’s folk-tinged illustrations, this tale is one to read while cuddled up with the ones you love.
Awards:
Best Children’s Books of the Year ―Bank Street College of Education
Parents’ Choice Silver Honor ―Parents’ Choice Foundation
Reviews
“Charming illustrations make this sweet tale of a close-knit community even more special… a warm invitation to enjoy this sweet story again and again.” ―School Library Journal
“Arresting illustrations…this is sweetly vivid in and of itself.” ―Booklist
“A story to spread warmth and cheer on the coldest nights.” ―Smithsonian Magazine Online
“The Story Blanket ranks among those exceptional picture books in which the story, illustrations, page layout, and design all come together to offer a phenomenal reading experience…a special volume to share with every picture-book lover you know.” ―Bloomsbury Review
“Storytellers and readers aloud will appreciate the text’s graceful yet restrained language and children will enjoy the plot’s cozy circularity.” ―Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Rosy-cheeked children and the bright folk art quilt suggest a timelessness to the story as well as the underlying message.” ―Library Media Connection
“Beautifully rendered in every way.” ―Orlando Press-Register
“Absolutely beautiful.” ―Virginian Pilot
“A lovely story that absolutely has it all: Outstanding illustrations, clever, heart-tugging prose, and brilliant colors and patterns that all come together to make for the perfect picture book experience. The plot is original, the pace is good, and the simple prose is exciting enough to hold the reader’s interest long after the last page is turned.” ―Picture Book Depot
Awards
Best Children’s Books of the Year ―Bank Street College of Education, 2009
Parents’ Choice Silver Honor ―Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2008
Storytelling World Resource Awards (Winner, Stories for Young Listeners) ―Storytelling World magazine, 2010
Great Lakes’ Great Books Award (Nominee, Grades K-1) ―Michigan Reading Association, 2009-2010
Friends Medallion (Special Award) ―Virginia Beach Friends School, 2008
More Details
AR Level: 4.1
F&P: N, Gr 3, Genre F
Lexile: AD930L
Themes: Circular Tale, Recycling, Secrets, Sharing
BISAC 1: JUV000000 JUVENILE FICTION/ General
BISAC 2: JUV039220 JUVENILE FICTION/ Social Issues/Values and Virtues
BISAC 3: JUV039060 JUVENILE FICTION/Social Issues/Friendship
