Knitting Nell [Hardcover]

Julie Jersild Roth (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Nell knits . . . a lot. She knits blankets for new babies, socks and hats and mittens for the children’s home, and scarves for everyone in her family.

What Nell doesn’t do is talk a lot. She listens to her friends chat and laugh, and she knits some more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Nell is a shy girl who finds solace in knitting and purling. After being told that her voice sounds like a cricket with a pillow over its head, she retreats into her shell even more. She loves to knit mittens, scarves, and hats for her family, for herself, and for people in need. When her friends do not show interest in a sweater that she has made, she decides to enter it in the county fair. She wins first prize and is also awarded a special medal for outstanding efforts in the service of others. Her family is proud of her and her friends are amazed. After the fair, Nell begins to use her happy cricket's voice, especially when she is teaching her friends to knit. The watercolor illustrations are soft and bright and surrounded by white space. The layout varies from nine tiny pictures to a single illustration per page. Although smiles abound, the illustrations reflect the protagonist's quietness. A good addition where there is a demand for books about shyness.–Linda Staskus, Parma Regional Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Nell is a busy young knitter, but because she has a quiet voice and a hobby that doesn't engender much excitement, she takes a back seat to her friends. Nell is not just knitting for herself; much of her knitting time is spent making scarves, blankets, and mittens for those in need. When the sweater that she enters in the county fair earns a blue ribbon and she gets a special medal for her good works, both Nell and her hobby become a lot more popular. Knitting may not seem a natural subject for a picture book, although more girls and boys are taking it up. However, Roth zeroes in on common kid traits such as shyness and a propensity to help others and wraps the knitting around them. The story is illustrated with spunk and charm in citrus-toned watercolors--some placed against a border of white, some in small squares, and still others meandering across two pages. The upbeat art pulls children into a story that might otherwise be passed over. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (July 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618540334
• ISBN-13: 978-0618540334
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story with a good message, August 10, 2006

By 

Wendy D. Johnson "WendyKnits" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knitting Nell (Hardcover)

I sat down to read this book the other night and was utterly charmed by it. It's the story of a shy little girl, Nell, who sits and knits and listens to others, but never says very much. She quietly knits items for other people, and is eventually recognized for her charitable good works, and also finds her voice as she teaches her friends to knit.

I actually felt some tears welling up as I finished reading this story -- it was just so danged sweet. It also has a nice message about doing good for other people and how rewarding that can be -- but it doesn't cram the moral down your throat.

The illustrations are adorable, and they are plentiful. There are many full-page pictures, and some pages with a number of small, captioned, pictures.

I think this would be a wonderful book to read with a very small child who is interested in learning to knit, or to give to slightly older knitters to read on their own, and then discuss with them later.

[...].

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Next Generation, January 4, 2007

By 

Dee A. Landreneau "MamaDee,Too" (North GA Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knitting Nell (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my 8 year old granddaughter who is beginning to knit. it teaches is okay to be a little different for other kids - and it also teaches the fine art of doing for others - Nell knits and gives away her knitting and teaches others to do the same.
A simple message that reaches the hearts of all.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable little book, October 11, 2006

By 

S. Al-Amri (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Knitting Nell (Hardcover)

As a knitter for charity myself, I was really pleased with this little book. It is the story of a little girl who has learned the joy of making for others, as well as herself. Can't wait to read it to my granddaughter.