Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen

A little girl lives in a world where everything is black, white, or gray. The only colour in her life comes from her knitting. She starts by knitting herself a sweater, but then she has extra yarn. So she knits some stuff for other people...but she still has extra yarn. The yarn seems almost endless! But when a greedy man tries to take the yarn for himself, what will happen to all of the colour?

It's practically impossible to describe this book without using words like sweet and lovely, but it's also funny and visually interesting. I'm a huge fan of Jon Klassen's illustration style (I even have a poster version of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling hanging on my living room wall). There's a simplicity in his art that works so well with Mac Barnett's story. It has humourous touches but also lots of quiet space. The story brings together themes of creativity and generosity and weaves them together with a definite sense of magic. Don't be surprised if young readers want to pick up a pair of knitting needles after reading this book.

Check out the websites of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett
Wazzyjump by Michael Moniz
Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza by Holly Clifton-Brown
Cats' Night Out by Caroline Stutson