Stanley the amazing knitting cat by Emily Mackenzie

Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408860489
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Themes: friendship, knitting. Stanley is not like other cats who enjoy chasing mice and napping in the sun. Stanley has a passion for knitting. His many animal friends, in paddocks and zoos far and wide, all benefit from his craftiness. The bunnies all have warm balaclavas, the giraffes have neck warmers and the elephants have trunk tubes. But when Stanley runs out of wool for his entry in a knitting competition, he has to unravel all the garments he has given to his friends. Crocodile is particularly disappointed - 'Not my pants!' he says. Not to mention how cold they all are without their winter woollies! Stanley realises that his friends are much more important than winning the competition and that what he loves about knitting is that he can make others happy. Bright, bold watercolour illustrations with crayon detail for the knitted garments gives this book a unique look. The long, colourful crayon lines for the wool look fantastic and make the knitted components stand out and remain distinct from the other elements on the page. The vibrant and active illustrations and the fast-paced text lend a frenzied and excited feel to the story and there are many age appropriate splashes of humour throughout.
Nicole Nelson