Review: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

Talk about a book with lots of layers!  Extra Yarn (by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen) is just that! 

 

Image and Summary from Goodreads:

This looks like an ordinary box full of ordinary yarn.

But it turns out it isn't.

  This is another book I picked up thanks to the Nerdy Book Club "Nerdies", however this book did make it to the Top 5 Picture Books.  And I can see why---it looks like a simple picture book about a magic ball of yarn, but it is so much more!  

*Spoiler alert*....but how can you not spoil it a little, it's a picture book!  

First, you have the magic ball of yarn that just keeps going and going.  But then, you have a little bit of faith and kindness.  Then you have a little bit of determination.   I really like how even though people made fun of and put down the little girl for her sweater, she just kept knitting and being nice.  It really shows strength of character.  I also love how she wouldn't sell it to the archduke, but still believed in the end.

And then you have Jon Klassen's illustrations!  I love the *wink wink* *nudge nudge* at the characters from Klassen's other books, I Want My Hat Back and This is Not My Hat.  I admit, I wouldn't have noticed it on my first read had someone not pointed it out, so I knew to look for them!  But hey, if you're going to read it aloud to kids that have already read either of those books, you can look so much smarter! 

I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad I picked it up!