Review by Booklist Review
Cole's soft, slate-blue baby blanket, knitted by his mother while she waited for his birth, becomes a constant, comforting part of his early years. First used to swaddle the infant, it adapts well for playing peek-a-boo, creating a little tent, and becoming a superhero cape. After several years, it begins to unravel, with help from the family cat. When only a pile of tangled yarn remains, Cole tries to play with it, but it doesn't work anymore. Finally, he's ready to let it go. But Mama isn't ready. Secretly knitting at night after Cole goes to sleep, she makes it into a soft, slate-blue sweater, which he finds in his room one morning and immediately loves. This satisfying story unfolds in quiet, well-worded sentences that indicate the characters' emotions as well as their actions. Using gentle colors, the digital artwork illustrates the text with precision and sensitivity. One particularly effective double-page spread, which shows eight little scenes of Cole using his blanket in varied ways as he grows older, is beautifully reprised later in the book as he tries to use the tangled clump of yarn in the same ways but without success. A cozy, lovable picture book and a promising debut for Hatch.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--Baby Cole instantly loves the blanket Mama knit while she waited for him to be born. As he grows, he and his blanket are inseparable. He plays hide-and-seek with it, drapes it over chairs to make a house, reads under it, and wears it as a cape. Inevitably, the day comes when the blanket starts to unravel loop by loop until only a pile of yarn remains. Just when Cole decides he's ready to give up his blanket, Mama decides that she is the one who is not ready, and uses the yarn to knit him a sweater. Cole loves it instantly. A minimum of text, expanded upon by similarly spare artwork, captures the essence of a child's attachment to a beloved object. While digitally created, the fluid outlines in the illustrations appear to be filled in with visible strokes of colored pencil, lending the book a casual, cozy feel. VERDICT An adorable story that will make lapsitters feel wrapped in a parent's love, and useful for conversations about letting go.--Jan Aldrich Solow, formerly Fairfax County P.S.., VA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Love is a hand-knit baby blanket. Mama knits a blue blanket for her newborn son, Cole, and boy and blanket become inseparable. The blanket, knit during Mama's pregnancy, is a perfect fit and texture for a baby's touch. And it continues to be a constant companion as the baby grows into a boy, becoming, in turn, a plaything, a hero's cape, and a makeshift reading cave. Knit garments, alas, do not last forever when so physically loved, and the blanket comes undone, a handful of tightly curled yarn that no longer is a playful friend. Cole returns it to Mama, who is a very dedicated knitter, indeed. At nighttime, she fashions the yarn into a new gift--a sweater--and once more boy, mother, and knitwear "bond." The colorful, delicate cartoon illustrations depict a round-faced White boy and mother with softly drawn features. The action unfolds in full-page spreads and panels. Observant readers will immediately notice the ever present cat, the third member of the household, who never speaks but always expresses itself quite delightfully. Clearly, the message here is that a baby blanket is the perfect gift, especially from mother to offspring. The response can only be--knitters! Grab your needles! A sweetly appealing story. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
