I Was Made for You

As a woman finishes knitting a toy cat, he asks, “Why was I made?” The woman’s elusive response (“It’s a surprise”) further piques his curiosity. Placed under the Christmas tree, Cat wriggles free of the wrapping paper and ventures outdoors, unknowingly snagging himself on a nail. When he poses the same existential question to others, a rock says he was meant “to be strong,” stars announce he was made “to shine,” and the wind says his mission is “to be free.” The sun’s disclosure that he was made “to give” provides Cat the right clue, and he realizes that he was made as a gift for Daisy, the knitter’s daughter. In a soft palette within patterned borders, Lucas (This Is My Rock) reveals Cat gradually unraveling, until, in a potentially unsettling visual, “he was just a long, loose thread, shivering in the wind.” Daisy and her mother follow the strand through the snow, winding it into a ball of yarn, which Mommy knits into Cat again as Daisy looks on. Though simple on the surface, this story may spark questions and conversation about identity, second chances, and sense of purpose. Ages 4–9. [em](Oct.) [/em]