A Knot Is Not a Tangle

A tender celebration of tradition, family bonds, and the beauty of imperfection.

A precious intergenerational story, steeped in art, culture, and the beautiful idea of a perfect memory.

Combining step-by-step details with a tender look at an elder passing on generational information, this extended account by Nayeri (Drawn Onward) traces a child's learning the art of Persian rug-making. The narrator and Grandma share breakfast on the fraying rug that she once made with her own grandmother: "And now it's our turn." First the two visit Grandpa in the field, where he gives them sheared wool that the two wash, card, spin, and dye. A plan is drawn on graph paper ("In our city of Isfahaan, the popular designs look like tiles or gardens in a palace"), and work on the loom commences. While the youth insists on perfection, Grandma pulls out a knot halfway through, calling it "the Persian flaw," and adding , "Nothing in this world is perfect, and nothing should pretend to be. Our job is only to make knots out of the tangles." Though told in present tense, the narration has the feel of family lore burnished by years of reflection. Greens, pinks, reds, and teals dominate intensely hued watercolors from Stamper (The Greatest), which place the family in a pastoral landscape. A concluding author's note offers more about the 2,500-year-old art. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. Illustrator's agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Literary. (Nov.)

Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-5--In a story set in Iran, a grandmother sets out to weave a new rug for her main room with her grandson just as she had with the boy's mother many years before. This undertaking has many steps and subtle life lessons. They must collect the shorn wool from the grandpa who is out in the fields with the sheep. The wool needs to be carded and spun into yarn then dyed various brilliant colors and allowed to dry. A pattern needs to be drawn on graph paper and only then can the wool be taken to the homemade loom in the basement to be woven using knots. Through it all, the boy wants perfection while his grandmother gently stresses the theme that "Nothing in this world is perfect, and nothing should pretend to be. Our job is only to make knots out of the tangles." Nayeri's affectionate text is suited for a picture book while maintaining the layered descriptions and details of a novelist. He easily weaves information about Persian rugs with rural life, all of which is imbued with Iranian culture. Stamper's delightfully detailed illustrations convey all of that plus the love and satisfaction of creating art for a purpose. She adds a dash of whimsy with the boy's toy sheep that can be found on most of the pages. An author's note offers additional information on weaving Persian rugs and the story's true lesson. VERDICT A gift made of childhood recall, wrapped in the making of a Persian rug, an act of creating "precious memories out of everyday chores." A solid purchase for most libraries.--Catherine Callegari

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.