Story Rug

Solo play turns into communal collaboration in this appealing picture book expertly crafted by Caldecott Medalist Blackall, here in the author’s seat, and Wahl (Little Witch Hazel). It all starts with the “braiding CRAZE” that strikes Class 203: “They are braiding hair, and braiding the tails of all the toy ponies, and Sadie is braiding her shoelaces together.” When shoelace-less, short-haired Noah lacks materials to join in, teacher Ms. Morena improvises by tearing a whiteboard rag into strips, and the child eagerly sets to work, even braiding in the bath, until the recycled cloth runs out. Enter Dad with an old shirt and the suggestion to “STITCH! STITCH! STITCH!” the fabrics’ ends together. Back at school, students donate additional textiles and eagerly help to attach the braids during storytime, making for a length that soon snakes down the hallway. Intricate, fully realized digital renderings incorporate open, broken-stroke shading for a down-to-earth portrait of a class energized by their task. After Noah suggests that the peers coil their handiwork into a growing circle (“the size of a Hula-Hoop. The size of a kiddie pool, the size of the library’s round table”), the resultant rug embodies not just the peer-group partnership but the individual textiles’ backgrounds, too. It’s a warmhearted portrayal of individual strands twined. Characters are portrayed with various abilities, body types, and skin tones. A how-to concludes. Ages 4–6. Author’s agent: Nancy Gallt, Gallt and Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)