The Story Blanket

PreS-Gr 2 - Babba Zarrah, a caring and talented senior, lives in a tiny mountain village-perhaps in Russia. She has a large, colorful, knitted blanket upon which the children love to sit as they listen to her stories. Noticing that there are some in the snow-covered village who have needs that she can satisfy, she unravels a bit of wool from the blanket and knits, then secretly delivers warm socks for young Nikolai, who has a hole in his shoe; an extra-long scarf for the postman; and cozy mittens for the schoolmaster to wear when he fetches wood. Each new project leads to thoughts of another, until the story blanket has completely disappeared. Then, it is up to the curious villagers to discover who is creating the gifts and find a way to thank their elderly neighbor for her kindness. Odriozola's charming illustrations make this sweet tale of a close-knit community even more special. The bright colors and delicate patterns in the children's and Babba Zarrah's clothing and the story blanket stand out against stark white backgrounds. A fine brown line surrounds garments and objects, giving some pieces a paper-collage appearance. In contrast, the rounded, rosy-cheeked faces are drawn with the same thin lines and minimal features-tiny dots for eyes, small squiggles for noses, wee marks for mouths. From the spare wood floor and the children clustered in anticipation on the blanket under a potted indoor tree comes a warm invitation to enjoy this sweet story again and again.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH 

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Readers will enjoy this warm tale about the virtues of sharing. The colorful illustrations and cheerfully rounded figures stand out against wintry white backgrounds.