I picked up knitting when on bedrest with William, so naturally when I saw a children's book about a girl who knits and never runs out of yarn, I had to bring it home. Fortunately, S loved Extra Yarn as much as I did. It is a magical little gem of a book. Hope you will read and enjoy it with your babes too!
Plot. One day Annabelle finds a little box of yarn. She begins knitting, and soon her whole gray and snowy little town is starting to look more colorful as a result of Annabelle's bright and cheery sweaters. Will she ever run out of yarn? When an Archduke comes and demands the box, Annabelle's chance at future happiness seems bleak at best. But love, generosity, and simple kindness prevail in this heart-warming tale.
Thematic Elements. Annabelle is an admirable and principled young lady. She diligently knits sweaters for everyone, is a generous giver, turns haters and naysayers into friends, perseveres when people say she can't, and won't sell out. Kids can also learn about the joy and color a generous person brings to others, and how one person {no matter how small} who is committed to something can make a big difference and have great influence.
On the other hand, kids can also benefit from the Archduke's bad example. Greedy and selfish people do not prosper in this tale.
Activities.
- Make rainbow colored yarn prints with a rolling pin on paper.
- Decorate the letter Y with yarn scraps.
- Practice fine motor skills and make a yarn-wrapped rainbow.
- Try a simple threading exercise: cut any shape out of paper {heart, star, circle, etc.} and use a paper hole punch to make holes around the sides. Cut long pieces of yarn and let your child thread away.
Be sure to also check out... Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen also collaborated on the book Sam and Dave Dig a Hole , which I haven't yet read with S, but plan to. Jon Klassen is a fantastic illustrator who has also written I Want My Hat Back and This is not My Hat {both hee-larious!}. If you love Lemony Snickett {I just can't help myself}, Jon Klassen also illustrated his book The Dark, which S did like a lot.
Looking for more great books to read with your preschooler? Check out the rest of this 31 Days series here!
Some of the links above are affiliate links- which means that if you make a purchase through them, I receive a small profit at no extra charge to you. But you should know that I am an avid believer in reading for free through both local and church libraries ;). Thanks for supporting The Purposeful Wife!
Some of the links above are affiliate links- which means that if you make a purchase through them, I receive a small profit at no extra charge to you. But you should know that I am an avid believer in reading for free through both local and church libraries ;). Thanks for supporting The Purposeful Wife!
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