An Iranian boy is woken up by his grandmother. They have breakfast together on the old frayed rug before taking a meal out to Grandpa in the field where he is herding sheep. The three start planning to make a new rug. They wash the wool and card out the tangles. They spin it into wool that is dyed with local flowers. Then the design is plotted out on graph paper. Next they start weaving on the loom, creating Persian knots to hold tight. The boy learns to create knots and not tangles, until midway his grandmother adds the Persian flaw to keep it from being perfect. The new rug is finished and ready for new memories to be made.
Nayeri shows the art of Persian rug making through the eyes of a child, making not only the art itself accessible but also showing the love of grandparents along the way. The boy learns the craft and also the heart of making rugs, with specific emphasis on the Persian flaw and the lack of perfectionism. The art in the book captures the colors of the wool, the beauty of the flowers, and the lovely designs of both rugs that the family uses.
Family, warmth and art combine in a winning title. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Jack lived with his grandfather in a house filled with music. There was music on the record player plus his grandfather played several instruments, including the guitar. Jack particularly loved it when his grandfather played the guitar, especially the song about the blackbird. Jack asked his grandfather to show him how to play the blackbird song, but first it took a lot of help and practice to even play a single chord. With encouragement from his grandfather, Jack kept at it and learned to play the guitar. As Jack got bigger and the guitar got smaller, he left home and played music all over the world. When he returned, his grandfather was different and this time it was Jack who showed him how to play.
Throughout this book, I could hear the song about the blackbird in my head, haunting and lovely. Children will want to hear that song after reading this book. The touching relationship between the two characters comes full circle by the end of the story as the grandfather grapples with dementia. The power and connectivity of music is on full display throughout the tale. James’ art is deeply organic yet accessible, showing the two characters as their relationship evolves and changes in the small blue house.
Sure to strike the right chord. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
Waking Brain Cells 