WOVEN OF THE WORLD

Intelligent rhymes and handsome folk-art patterns spin a global story of weaving through the millennia.

The narrative opens as an adult in a long black dress invites a child clothed in red (both are brown-skinned and blue-haired) to listen to the loom: “Clack. Clack. / Swish— / PULL BACK. / Bobbin and heddle, / foot pedal, no slack.” (Specialized vocabulary is defined and illustrated in a glossary.) The characters’ presence throughout, along with that of a playful blue cat, adds a personal dimension. Describing the loom’s “song” (“skeins of history / unfurled across the room…”), the text is told in first person, presented in an ABCB rhyme scheme with an appropriately lilting rhythm. A limited but vibrant gouache palette of black, blue, orange/rust/brown, forest green, and white depicts weavers throughout history and cultures—we see portrayals of the craft on Chinese porcelain, Egyptian pottery, Moorish carpets, and more. Delicate spot line art contrasts with rich color on double-page spreads for a pleasing variety. Author and artist convey technical and functional information about weaving as well as the sense of community experienced by weavers and the stories and spirit incorporated into their pieces. Ending in the third person plural, Howes speaks of the beauty, purpose, and strength of the textiles and of those who create and appreciate them: “We all are tapestries… / lifelines interlacing….” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An exceptional ode to the music and art of the loom.