Wild Rose’s Weaving

By: Ginger Churchill
Illustrated by: Nicole Wong
Publisher: Tanglewood
Publication Date: October 2011
ISBN: 978-1-933718-56-9
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: November 11, 2011

This truly beautiful story speaks about two very specific subjects. One is the amazing art form of weaving, while the other is about dreams, and how you can find absolute beauty and excitement in life as well as in your mind.

Rose is a young girl who literally does not want to sit inside and weave with her grandmother on a fantastic day that offers sunshine, rainbows, play, and fun. She wants to see that outside world where she can run like the wind over the green grass, and hear the thunder and see the lightning coming across the field. She wants to play with the sheep and live every minute with the new things she can see and experience. So when Grandma says come learn how to weave, Rose simply says she’s busy (or ignores Grandma completely and rushes outside), claiming that her way MUST be better than weaving.

Of course, Grandma is proving that weaving holds the same type of adventure. Through her loom and her imagination she can make those scenes outside come alive within her mind. She, too, can run with the sheep, have her bones “tickled” by the rumbles of thunder, and experience everything young Rose is by using her creativity.

Now Rose finally does come around little by little and learns how to see life in her grandmother’s colorful yarn, as well as feel the ‘peace in its pattern’ and finds out that she really does want to learn the magic of the art form. Unfortunately, Grandma is a bit busy as well, so Rose also learns a powerful lesson and sees a stunning way of life that she never even knew existed - the life inside her imagination.

The author has written a beautiful portrayal of proving that life exists in all different forms, and that learning something new and inspiring is a good thing - something that our elders can pass along to us - the art of weaving that actually comes from centuries past. And the illustrator is truly wonderful, as the colorful pictures jump directly off the page and will thrill your child!

Quill Says: A fantastic job of introducing an art form to youngsters, and proving that ‘colors and patterns’ are everywhere! A great children’s book!