cover image Angelita's Magic Yarn

Angelita's Magic Yarn

Doris Lecher. Farrar Straus Giroux, $14 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-374-30332-7

Vibrant artwork and prose of disarming simplicity mark this engaging debut. In the mythical Andean village of Oru, everyone knits sweaters to sell on market day, but no one knits as well as Angelita. In the unaffected, deliberate style of a fable, Lecher recounts what happens when the unfortunate lady loses first her donkey, then her yarn and finally her house, rendering her unable to produce sweaters. Paintings in brilliant hues of orange, green and violet bring this peasant community to life: knitting needles whirl as Angelita turns out a sweater; unraveling skeins fly through the air; gaily costumed villagers dance under the stars. The pictures have the quirky charm of Guatemalan folk art; their distinctive wavy lines make them look as though they were fashioned from yarn itself. Readers will revel in Angelita's eventual triumph over misfortune as she climbs to the highest mountain top and rolls the sun's rays into a skein. With the magic wool she knits replacements for her lost possessions, creating an entire universe--from fried eggs to a donkey to a house, in the finest tradition of Crockett Johnson's Harold--and regaining her rightful place as the master knitter of Oru. Ages 3-8. (May)