Mr. Nick's Knitting [Library Binding]

Margaret Wild (Author), Dee Huxley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

Wild has written a thoroughly satisfying story about friendship as Mr. Nick knits a very special gift for his sick friend Mrs. Jolley. Full-color illustrations.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Every morning on the seven o'clock train to the city Mr. Nick opened his briefcase and took out his knitting." With this engaging opening, Wild introduces the daily routines of her story's title character and the aptly named Mrs. Jolley, his knitting partner on their 45-minute commute. As portrayed in Huxley's warm and cheering watercolors, these two are immediately likeable. When Mrs. Jolley misses the train for three days, Mr. Nick discovers that she is very ill and goes to visit his friend, bringing pink yarnand new knitting needles. Mrs. Jolley is too despondent to knit, but her companion has a solution. In a wonderfully frenetic sequence of paintings, Huxley presents a seven-day knitting marathon, as Mr. Nick creates an afghan for his friend in which each square depicts one of the many sights seen on their daily train ride. Now, even though they are apart, Mr. Nick and Mrs. Jolley can still knit every morning at seven o'clock. By keeping her narrative style straightforward and unemotional, Wild makes this affecting story of a special friendship all the more touching. Ages 4-8 .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- A story which explores the depth of true friendship. Mr. Nick and Mrs. Jolley, the best of friends, knit all the way to the city on the train. Then one morning Mrs. Jolley fails to appear, and Mr. Nick learns that she is in the hospital. After visiting sad Mrs. Jolley in her empty white room, Mr. Nick knits nonstop for seven days and seven nights, and presents his friend with a patchwork quilt. The next day, while Mr. Nick knits on the train, Mrs. Jolley does the same in the hospital, all the while enjoying the sights from the train as lovingly recreated by her friend. Huxley's framed watercolors point up the contrasts implied in Wild's text. The hospital is stark and somewhat frightening, especially when the dejected Mrs. Jolley is viewed from above in her bare, white room. On the other hand, the commuter train is a bright, bustling place where the other passengers, from school boys to chic business women, take great interest in the knitters' projects. Broad, flattish faces may remind adults of Fernando Botero, but Huxley's people are much more active and friendly. Details such as Mr. Nick's yarns intertwined with typewriter ribbons and his spaghetti dinner abound. Although Mrs. Jolley's recovery is only hinted at, her rising spirits make for a hopeful ending. A good choice for early independent readers as well as for preschool read-aloud groups. --Jeanne Marie Clancy, Upper Merion Township Library, King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Bt Bound (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785753176
• ISBN-13: 978-0785753179
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,701,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 friends,1 hobby, March 10, 2001

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mr. Nick's Knitting (Paperback)

Mr. Nick is a knitting enthusiast. Looking like a jolly Englishman in bowler hat and moustache, he spends every day knitting on his daily train ride into the city for work. At one stop, his friend Mrs. Jolley joins him, and they both knit, clickity-clack clickity-clack, for the 45 minute ride into the city. They're both the best of friends and help each other with their knitting. Even the other passengers on the train are quite contented and comforted to hear the 4 needles steadily go (sadly, this proves this book is a work of fiction).

However, one day, Mrs. Jolley doesn't ride the train, and Mr. Nick is understandably sad. He is sadder still the next day when Mrs. Jolley still is missing. He gets sad enough by the third day that he's not knitting at all, and the other passengers are beginning to miss the gentle sound of all that activity. So, Mr. Nick goes to visit his friend in the hospital.

Mrs. Jolley is sick and she will be in the hospital for some time, Mr. Nick finds out. Readers will immediately notice something unusual in Mrs. Jolley's room: no color. Like early hospital rooms, there is nothing colorful to see or look at in Mrs. Jolley's room. This is in stark contrast to the previous pages where there was ALWAYS something to see from the train, ALWAYS some bright colored yarn that the two were knitting into beautiful creations (Mr. Nick was perpetually working on sweaters for his 23 nieces and nephews). Quietly, Mr. Nick sets out to change this.

He knits day and night-- on the train, on his lunch hour, while eating (a wonderful watercolor picture of his yarn getting tangled up with spaghetti lights up this page) and even while taking a bath. Instead of sweaters, he's making squares. When next he visits Mrs. Jolley, he presents her with a beautiful afghan for her hospital bed with scenes of all the things she loved to look at from the train knitted into them-- trees, butterflies, two smiling friends hugging, the train, etc. So, while she's in the hospital at least, she and Mr. Nick can both look at beautiful things and knit for those 45 minutes, even though they're in different places.

I liked "Mr. Nick" for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the bright and bold watercolors that grace each page (and make for an obvious and immediate contrast when they're gone in Mrs. Jolley's room). It's a perfect jumping-off point for topics such as similarities and differences, hobbies, friendship and even gender roles (who says men can't knit??). I especially liked the way the book *ended*-- Mrs. Jolley was still in the hospital, her room was still devoid of anything even remotely interesting to look at save Mr. Nick's afghan, and she was still sick. Mr. Nick was still riding the train with interesting things to look at, knitting sweaters for his 24 nieces & nephews now, and the passengers were content to listen to one pair of needles going. So, not everything was neatly finished where it began... Very much like life itself.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story about friendship, September 9, 2000

By 

Alie Scholes (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Nick's Knitting (Hardcover)

This book has been a long time favorite of my daughter's (now age 4). I actually bought it because I'm a knitter and was pleasantly surprised by how the story normalizes knitting (and male knitters). The pictures are beautiful. The story, about a friendship which revolves around a common hobby (knitting), is very touching. Definitely need this if there is a knitter in the house but, will enjoy it even if there is not.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book for youngsters to learn what friendship is., December 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mr. Nick's Knitting (Paperback)

At first I thought the illustrations were the best part of this book. They are so brightly colored in water color. But the story was intriguing to my daughter at two, and still is at three. It can help children understand what friends can do for friends who are in the hospital. It also shows how people can connect through their hobbies or crafts. I recommend this for anyone looking for an option to the average fairy tale story.