08/28/2017
Produced in association with Amnesty International, this allegorical story follows a family that flees a “warm, sunny country” beset by vaguely described political troubles for a “clean and tidy” nation where “all the children go to school.” When buying sweaters for her children, the narrator’s mother realizes that only three colors are available: gray, green, and orange. “They look like an army marching in their uniforms,” she whispers to her husband. She then unravels the sweaters and combines the yarn to knit new ones in bold checks, zigzags, and stripes—surprising the town’s residents and starting a fashion trend. Except for a handful of pink-skinned children, Kono sticks to a limited palette of gray, green, orange, and black in her illustrations—blocky, screenprintlike images dotted with Xs, Os, and other characters that evoke knitting symbols. It’s a quiet and sensitively observed look at a family’s efforts to stay safe in uncertain times. An afterword reveals the story’s inspiration in a family that fled Portugal’s dictatorship in the 1960s and settled in Prague; the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights appears in full in the final pages. Ages 3–9. (Oct.)
A 2018 Skipping Stones Honor Award Winner
"This wonderful book demonstrates the strength of the human spirit, even under governmental repression."—Skipping Stones
"Loosely inspired by the experiences of real families fleeing dictatorship only to find continued oppression under Communism, this modern fable presents a hopeful twist by showing how art can inspire hope and change. The first person narration is direct, balancing a child's understanding with the heavy topic. . . . [The illustrations] create lovely cohesion between plot and art. VERDICT: A good choice to provoke discussion about freedom and oppression with older readers."—School Library Journal
"One day, the mother launches a quiet rebellion against the tyranny of homogeneity and conformity—an embodiment of artist Ben Shahn’s insistence that “without the nonconformist, any society of whatever degree of perfection must fall into decay.” It starts with a grey sweater she unravels into a ball of yarn, then an orange one, then a green one. Out of these three balls of wool, she begins knitting sweaters of all stripes and patterns, remixing the solid givens into previously unimagined possibilities. [...] Three Balls of Wool, which is absolutely lovely both as a picture-book and as a symbolic cultural message, comes from Enchanted Lion Books"—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
"While not as harrowing as many contemporary stories, this timely title gently introduces the trauma of exile to young readers and can lead to discussions and, hopefully, a better understanding of being uprooted. Kono's graphic designs on pale gray paper artfully capture the drabness of the new city and the varied patterns of the sweaters. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is included. A timely story of refugees and the strength of individuality over conformity."—Kirkus Reviews
"Narrated by an eight-year-old child, a family moves from 1960s Fascist Portugal to Communist Czechoslovakia in search of a better future. But the new country is far from ideal. Graphic designs on pale gray paper capture the darkness of the new city. The buildings are gray boxes and everyone wears monotone, orange, green, or gray sweaters knit in the same pattern. The mother unravels the sweaters and mixes the colors and stitches, knitting different bold checks, zigzags, and stripes. "—OmniLibros
”When a family has to leave their war-torn land, they have a lot to adjust to in their new country. They are thankful for so much, including an opportunity for all children to go to school. However, there is an orderly, monotonous uniformity and lack of freedom that seems to pervade their new home—everything rom the gray buildings to the same dreary clothing that everyone must wear. An idea comes to Mother one day that she thinks might do some good. She sets to work with her three balls of wool, knitting endlessly with her needles clicking and flashing. Her one little gesture proves impactful and inspires a wonderful change.” —Books For Diversity
”Beautifully graphic, bold and educational.” —Andie Powers
“…a story of refuge, adaptation, and change. It reminds us that better isn’t always perfect, and we have much to learn from one another.”— Anna, Kid Lit Crafts
”The latest illustrated children’s book published by Brooklyn-based Enchanted Lion Books spins a tale about creativity and how an act as simple as knitting can affect a community. Published in association with Amnesty International, Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World) also gives parents a helpful way to talk with their kids about immigration.” —American Craft Magazine
”A resourceful mother unravels the sweaters in order to make new sweaters, patterned ones that express joy and individuality, and she starts a kind of revolution come spring.” —Danielle Davis, This Picture Book Life
10/01/2017
Gr 2–4— Loosely inspired by the experiences of real families fleeing dictatorship only to find continued oppression under Communism, this modern fable presents a hopeful twist by showing how art can inspire hope and change. The first person narration is direct, balancing a child's understanding with the heavy topic. "My parents worried so much that lines appeared on their foreheads. They said words I didn't understand. Words they whispered to each other, like: 'Ignorance.' 'Fear.' 'War.' 'Prison.' One day I heard them say, 'Exile.' The line on my father's forehead deepened. The next day we left before dawn." The family is pleased by the cleanliness and orderliness of life in their new country. But they soon notice that the only clothing options for children are gray, green, or orange sweaters. Mother begins to worry again as she sees children marching to school in an almost military formation with the same colors. Working with what's available, Mother hatches her plan. Unraveling sweaters for yarn, she recombines the colors in wild patterns—stripes, zigzags, and squares. Others are inspired, and by spring the whole community has come together to create and share their wonderful variations. The blocky graphic illustrations limit the palette to orange, gray, green, and black, with a rosy pink for some characters' skin (others are orange or white), and incorporate symbols that can be found in a knitting pattern, creating lovely cohesion between plot and art. VERDICT A good choice to provoke discussion about freedom and oppression with older readers.— Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN
2017-08-27
For political refugees, bringing something from the old country, even something as simple as color, is a way of remembering and retaining roots.An 8-year-old child narrates the story of a family's midnight flight from their home to a new land with a new language and schools. The buildings are gray boxes, and all the children wear monotone orange, green, or gray sweaters that are knit in one pattern. The mother, beset by the sameness, has a solution. She unravels the wool and mixes up the colors and stitches, knitting different and eye-catching designs. The small fashion statement catches on in the neighborhood, and soon knitting needles are busily clicking away at new sweaters. In her author's note, Cristina explains that she has based this story on a Portuguese family's 1960s flight from dictatorship to Communist European countries, where, unfortunately, they did not find freedom. While not as harrowing as many contemporary stories, this timely title gently introduces the trauma of exile to young readers and can lead to discussions and, hopefully, a better understanding of being uprooted. Kono's graphic designs on pale gray paper artfully capture the drabness of the new city and the varied patterns of the sweaters. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is included. A timely story of refugees and the strength of individuality over conformity. (foreword, maps) (Picture book. 5-8)
