The Quilting Bee [Library Binding]

Gail Gibbons (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Design, snip, clip . . .

Welcome to the quilting bee!

With the help of popular author/illustrator Gail Gibbons, you'll learn how quilts are made and discover their fascinating history as well as lots of fun facts.

Back in colonial times, quilting bees were important social functions, combining both work and pleasure. They still exist today and attract thousands of snippers, clippers, and stitchers from all walks of life.

Some traditional quilt patterns have funny names: Trip Around the World, Bear's Paw, Crazy Quilt. Today's quilt makers also use their imaginations to create new designs that are works of art.

Here's the book to get you started in the wonderful world of quilts. Maybe you'll want to make one of your own!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-In this look at a quilting bee, the warm and friendly atmosphere of this social gathering quickly gets lost in a blur of patterns and text. Dozens of watercolor-and-ink illustrations depicting both scenes of people quilting and pattern squares are scattered about like a crazy quilt. Interesting facts about the design, construction, and history of quilts, as well as the origin of traditional patterns used by the pioneers, are ill served by the book's format and fonts, which make it difficult to distinguish the narrative from the numerous captions. On a more positive note, the author offers a wonderful idea for making an authors' and illustrators' quilt. For an informative, better-organized alternative, try Mary Cobb's The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days (Millbrook, 1995).
Teri Markson, Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School, Los Angeles
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Perhaps inspired by picture books like Patricia Polacco's beloved The Keeping Quilt (1998), many teachers plan units on quilts to take advantage of their multiple curriculum connections. As usual, Gibbons proves herself in sync with such classroom trends with her newest nonfiction offering, which follows a contemporary "quilting circle," consisting of adults and two child helpers, from planning a new quilt to displaying it at the county fair. Historical background on quilting and on traditional American patterns, such as Road to California and Little Red Schoolhouse, enriches the simple text. Gibbons' bright watercolors serve the bold, geometric patterns well; however, it's a shame that most of the pattern blocks (a pattern's smallest repeating unit) are never depicted within a completed quilt, preventing readers from marveling at the designs in their full, kaleidoscopic splendor. A suggestion for a class project, involving sending favorite authors and illustrators cloth squares to be decorated and returned, will likely be greeted by teachers with enthusiasm. (Whether the authors and illustrators will oblige seems less certain.) Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068816398X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688163983
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,960,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars neat, April 2, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quilting Bee (Hardcover)

This is a simple introduction to quilting for kids. It starts out by telling a little history on quilt making. Then it goes on to tell about various quilt patterns. The book features a helpful page of pictures of items used in quilting such as quilting frames and rotary cutters. In the end of the book is a great idea we hope to use in our home school. A classroom quilt project is started by writing letter and mailing squares of fabric to children's book authors and illustrators. They are asked to decorate the square and mail it back to the student. The squares are made into a quilt.

What did you like or not like about the book?

I enjoyed sharing this book with my great grandmother. She is a sewer and we liked looking at all the patterns for the quilts.


Would you recommend this book? Why or Why not?

We would recommend this book. At this time there are no books in the kids section on quilting. This is a great introduction to quilting.

5.0 out of 5 stars Quilter, January 30, 2010

By 

Charlene L. Kalinski (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Quilting Bee (Library Binding)

As always Gail Gibbons presents information to children in a beautiful and succient manner. Her book the Quilting Bee explains old fashioned gatherings which result in beautiful work products, a quilt. A must read as a "touchstone text" when teaching writing all-about books.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Quilting Bee, August 27, 2008

By 

Kathleen Eagan "--Teacher" (Gig Harbor, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quilting Bee (Hardcover)

The Quilting Bee is a wonderful read aloud for chidren. I read it to my kindergarten class. There was high interest with lots of questions,comments, and connections. It became a favorite 'free time' book.