Have you ever felt like your life was unraveling? That's a feeling from which, sadly, even many children are not exempt. But here's a gorgeously crafted metaphor to reassure children and grown-ups alike that we can find ways to knit our lives back together.
Imagine a section of knit scarf with windows in it and adorable mice peeking out (see cover picture). Now imagine the bottom of this knitted house starting to unravel and the looks of dismayed but determined mice fleeing as the unraveling continues. Further imagine the courage of the mice running along a remaining single strand of tightrope yarn, with a tenuous-looking knot holding it together.
Michela Eccli's illustrations use realistic yarn accented by line-drawn mice with winsome faces. The story began with her image "of a warm, woolen — yet crumbling — home," and she worked with author Alice Brière-Haquet to bring to life a story of hope ... because yes, through dragon fire, sharp branches, and waves the mice persevere until they find a new and helpful community. This new community includes a knitting turtle, a skunk bearing flowers, a rhino willing to play teeter-totter on knitting needles, and more.
As for Brière-Haquet's words and Sarah Ardizzone's translation, they match this unraveling and reknitting momentum with perfect tension. For instance:
"Up and leave,
don't look back,
never let the thread go slack."
and
"We forage for loose threads:
pretty and ugly,
chunky and flimsy,
colorful and drab,
warm and airy."
With unprecedented numbers of people around the world migrating, and much other chaos for us all to face, this book brings much needed encouragement that "little by little, thread by thread, we'll rebuild our nest." Listed for four-to-eight-year-old readers, this book would make a great gift for anyone of any age in need of a boost right now.
