Extra Yarn

On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, a little girl called Annabelle finds a box filled with yarn of every colour. She uses the yarn to knit eye-catching jumpers for herself and her dog Mars - and soon everyone else in town wants one too. Before long, her black and white world has become multicoloured. Luckily it seems that the mysterious box holds an endless supply of yarn, enough to make sure that the animals, trees, cars and mailboxes can all have their own bright knitted jumpers too. But then the magic knitting box catches the attention of a greedy archduke who determines to take it for himself...

This charming picture book from Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen is a contemporary fairy-tale about the power of creativity, generosity and community. The feel-good story makes it a lovely book to share with younger children at bedtime, but it could equally be a good starting point for discussions with older readers too. Klassen's subtle illustrations in a muted colour palette perfectly demonstrate the spread of colour across the town as it is gradually transformed by Annabelle's knitting: fans of his I Want My Hat Back will particularly enjoy the appearence of some familiar characters with jumpers of their own.