A Knot Is Not a Tangle

Gr 2-5–In a story set in Iran, a grandmother sets out to weave a new rug for her main room with her grandson just as she had with the boy’s mother many years before. This undertaking has many steps and subtle life lessons. They must collect the shorn wool from the grandpa who is out in the fields with the sheep. The wool needs to be carded and spun into yarn then dyed various brilliant colors and allowed to dry. A pattern needs to be drawn on graph paper and only then can the wool be taken to the homemade loom in the basement to be woven using knots. Through it all the boy wants perfection while his grandmother gently stresses the theme that “Nothing in this world is perfect, and nothing should pretend to be. Our job is only to ake knots out of the tangles.” Nayeri’s affectionate text is suited for a picture book while maintaining the layered descriptions and details of a novelist. He easily brings in information about Persian rugs, weaving them and rural life all of which is imbued with Iranian culture. Stamper’s delightfully detailed illustrations convey all of that plus the love and satisfaction of creating art for a purpose. She adds a dash of whimsy with the boy’s toy sheep that can be found on most of the pages. An author’s note offers additional information on weaving Persian rugs and the story’s true lesson.