Extra Yarn

by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Jon Klassen

Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
January 17, 2012

Annabelle finds a box of yarn and knits herself a sweater. "And when Annabelle was done, she had some extra yarn." She knits something for everyone and yet the box still magically has extra yarn. She even knits the animals sweaters in her "cold little town." She begins knitting "sweaters for things that didn't even wear sweaters," and while busy making one for a truck one day, a mysterious archduke shows up wanting to buy the box. Annabelle, of course, refuses and the archduke turns sinister. You'll have to get the book to find out what happens next!

Today's post is in honor of the fact that Extra Yarn has been selected as the Picture Book winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for 2012 (just announced at Book Expo America (BEA) yesterday). The awards will be given officially in September at a ceremony held at Simmons College. (For a full list of winners this year, click here.)

I am a big fan of Klassen's art, and this book is no exception - in fact, the art is exceptional! The story - quirky and weird - is right up my alley and is perfect for little readers who will likely get a kick out of the concept of knitting a sweater for a house and a hat for a guy "who never wore sweaters or even long pants."

I live in a pretty hip neighborhood of Boston and on my bike ride home, I finally stopped to take a photo of this tree that was recently given a sweater as part of a festival. Annabelle would likely approve.