Mouse and Spoon Book Series by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Janna Mattia

When I saw this book cover on social media I was intrigued. I am a huge huge huge fan of Cynthia Rylant. She writes absolutely PERFECT little stories for children who are just beginning to develop reading confidence. Series such as Mr Putter and Tabby; Henry and Mudge; Annie and Snowball; The High-Rise Private Eye; The Lighthouse Family and now Mouse and Spoon.

I started exploring this series by reading book 2 - Owlets and Tarts - on my Kindle. Sadly, may be a little difficult to find here in Australia but they are fairly new so you can order them. I found them listed at Readings in Melbourne for just AUS$13.

Blurb: Mom and Dad Owl are exhausted—their three little owlets refuse to go to sleep. They need pillow tarts for their babies, and quickly! Will Ginger, Tom, and Piper at the Mouse and Spoon Bakery be able to help?

Here is the full review from the School Library Journal:

A long-reigning master of fiction for emerging readers, Rylant nails it again with this sweet new series about a bakery owned by a family of mice. In this installment, the mice are tasked with creating the perfect confection for owl parents who have been getting no sleep thanks to their three newly hatched owlets. The mice sift, roll, and knead until they have baked “three perfect Pillow Tarts” on which the owlets finally fall asleep. Rylant crafts a tale that is engaging without sacrificing decodability, and Mattia’s pastel-hued illustrations have a timeless quality that suits the story perfectly. The bedraggled owl parents add a touch of slapstick humor, and readers are sure to root for this trio of feisty mice. ­

The Elephants Birthday blurb: The baker mice are in for a surprise when an elephant places a large birthday order for over 100 pound cakes--plus some banana bread for her monkey friends! Can the little mice fill this very big order?  Read the review

Rabbit Tea blurb: A rabbit is having a tea party and needs lots of treats! Will Ginger, Piper, and Tom at the Mouse and Spoon Bakery be able to bake enough carrot cakes in time?

A Porcupine Wedding blurb: Ginger, Piper, and Tom of the Mouse and Spoon Bakery have a very important job: making lots of super sticky buns for a porcupine wedding!

Cynthia Rylant is an American librarian and author, who was born on 6th June 1954. She has written over 100 children’s books.

If you listen by Charlotte Zolotow illustrated by Stefano Vitale

"If you listen hard you'll feel someone far away sending love to you."

"The little girl's father had been away a long time."

I love that we are left to think about why. Is dad away for work? Has dad sadly died? Has dad left the family because of a divorce? Whatever the reason mum suggests there is a way to keep dad close even though he is not here.

"If I can't see him, or hear him, or feel his hugs, how can I know he loves me when he isn't here?"

Her mum tells the little girl to stop and listen. They can hear the church bells even though they cannot see the actual church. Or you hear foghorn of a ship far out at sea or a dog barking over in the hills. 

"Or you're sitting alone in the living room not thinking about anything at all and one petal falls of a rose in the vase on the coffee table."

Bookseller description: This loving tale about loss from two-time Caldecott Honor winner Charlotte Zolotow is a gentle, reassuring approach to a subject that's always challenging for parents to discuss with children. In it, a mother comforts her daughter about the absence of the child's father by explaining that if she listens hard, she'll feel him far away sending love to her.

Charlotte Zolotow (1915-2013) wrote over 70 books. The 1980 edition of If you listen had a different illustrator: Marc Simont. My newer copy is from 2002. You can see inside this book here. 

I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale. Part of my mind, when I search through all the boxes of books at these fairs, is thinking about very special books I had in my former school library.  

Here is another book by Charlotte Zolotow also illustrated by Stefano Vitale:

Winter: An alphabet acrostic by Steven Schnur illustrated by Leslie Evans

Before you get excited about this book it is from 2002 and so it is long out of print. I was lucky to spy it at a recent charity book sale. In fact I very nearly hid it because it was priced at AUS$4 and I thought it might still be available on Sunday (today) for half price - and YES it was. It seems this book did not appeal to the hundreds of people who were at the fair and who flicked through all the numerous children's book boxes. Lucky me!

Is it too much to combine winter with the alphabet and then also employ that very overused poetry form of the acrostic? No it is not. This book is a delight and it also has linocut style illustrations which are very appealing. At first glance I thought this book might be Candian - they do produce fantastic books in Canada but it is not - Steven Schnur is from the US. I have discovered this book is one from a series one for each season (see below). Leslie Evans is a printmaker and illustrator located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Sea Dog Press is the letterpress studio where she creates her illustration and hand pulled prints.

See more pages inside this book here

Here are some brief teachers notes to use if you do find a copy of Winter: An alphabet acrostic.

Crystals

Of ice as delicate as

Lace ring the

Duck pond

Gusts of wind rattle the windows

As we sit by the fire

Matching puzzle pieces and

Eating popcorn

The acrostics in this book are well written (by an adult) and so fit the subject matter perfectly but I do caution against using this form as the only way to inspire students to write their own poetry.

Take a look at this article from a teacher about moving children on from using acrostics:

As soon as I start talking about their writing this poem, it is usually followed by the question “Can I just write an acrostic poem?” It takes time, energy, effort, strong mentor texts, and exposing students to great poetry to create a classroom of poetry writers who stretch themselves beyond the acrostic poem.

Thinking about picture book forms

This week I have been so privileged to read the Master's Thesis of a friend entitled "Shapes and forms: Some recent uses of techniques in picture books". This thesis was written in 1990 but it is thrilling to see how many of her selected titles have really stood the test of time and I hope that nearly all of them are still available in your school library.  The thesis explores twenty forms - I won't list all of her choices here, but I have added a couple more of my own so I have a total of fourteen forms you could explore. The more I dip into this topic the more possibilities I have found such as stamping or using stamps (Jarrett and Jarome Pumphrey); dual functioning books (such as The Ribbon Le Ruban a book I long to own); clay sculpture illustrations such as Barbara Reid; photographic illustrations; narrative and illustrated nonfiction; and diorama constructions - try to find books illustrated by Soyeon Kim to see this form.

Here is a video of this book (in French)

I have listed the thesis picture book example first and then examples of my own. This thesis was originally given the title 'innovations in the picture book' but many of the forms/shapes listed are actually very old for example the popup book and the leporello. The book at the top of this post is a leporello! I do love that word (and form). So the thesis author changed her heading to Shapes and Forms.

I also need to think about where to place one of my most shared and most treasured but very obscure books:

1 is for One

1. Wordless

Up and Up by Shirley Hughes

Check out my Pinterest of Wordless Books (IBBY call them Silent books)

I have tons of favourites but I first thought of one special favourite, because it was the first wordless book I ever read, Sunshine by Jan Omerod. Thinking about more recent ones I would list Stormy by GuoJing and The Midnight Fair by Gideon Sterer illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio. If you haven't discovered Peter Collington try to find his books in a library. My own favourite is The Tooth Fairy.

2. Paper engineering (pop up and die-cut or laser cut)

Haunted House Jan Pienkowski

The die cutting process is a way to create unique shapes in material. It’s often used artistically on covers to cut windows into a book or on interior pages to create flaps, pop-up structures or interesting shapes.

The master of the popup is Robert Sabuda. His paper engineering will amaze you. An older book I marvel over with amazing die cut pages is The Story of Snowflake and Raindrop. This book also fits into the category of a flip over book. More recent examples of die cut pages are found in books by Britta Teckentrup for example her book A Happy Place. You might also look for books by Aaron Becker and Su Blackwell. I recently spied this edition based on Mary Poppins with die cut or laser cut illustrations.

Read more about Hélène Druvert here.

3. Lift the flap

Where's Spot? by Eric Hill

I stumbled on Mouse's Wood by Alice Melvin a couple of years ago and now I see there are sequels. I also love the bird books by Bridget Farmer which have the sturdiest flaps and incredible art. Searching for Treasure by Johanna Bell illustrated by Emma Long made me gasp and you do need to add Who Lives here by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Rebecca Cobb to your collection. All of these books show that flaps are not just for our tiny reading companions but of course every little child does need to see and touch lots of books about Spot.

4. Flip over book (reversable)

Round Trip by Ann Jonas

I cannot cite many examples of these but I do love them. I always think of an old book - And then it Rained by Crescent Dragonwagon. Another example could be Mirror by Jeannie Baker. You don't flip this one over but readers see the action side by side in two different locations simultaneously.  An Australian example is Room on our Rock by Kate and Jol Temple. 

5. Stitching (using textiles)

The Shoemaker and the Elves stitching by C & W Birrer

I find books with illustrations made from embroidery or stitching or fabric patchwork very appealing. One UK illustrator to look for is Rachel Griffin. You could also look for The Whispering Cloth: a refugee's story by Pegi Deitz Shea and illustrated by Anita Riggio. I love the work by US textile artist Salley Mavor. I would love to own her book called My Bed. 

6. Letters in envelopes

The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg (and sequels)

I have so many book forms that I adore but I think the value-added of real letters inside envelopes is one I find the most delightful. AND I thank publishers who are willing to invest money into the production of these. Santa Post by Emma Yarlett; Maisy's Christmas Letters by Lucy Cousins; Letters from Felix: A Little Rabbit on a World Tour by Annette Langen; Meerkat Mail Emily Gravett; and of course The Jolly Christmas postman by Allan Ahlberg.

7. Collage

Where the forest meets the sea by Jeannie Baker

This is an enormous topic. My friend has a terrific Pinterest on this topic and I have one too of illustrators who use collage. Apart from our wonderful Australian illustrator Jeannie Baker,I love the work of Eric Carle; Ed Young; Robin Page; David Wisniewski and Susan L Roth. You may already have a new Australian picture book called Hope is the Thing. And there are so many other names such as Rachel Isadora; Melissa Sweet; Leo Lionni; Ezra Jack Keats; Lois Ehlert; Ellen Stoll Walsh. Another favourite Australian illustrator of mine is Patricia Mullins. I was also delighted to discover this book made with illustrations made from pebbles:

Stepping Stones

8. Reality (illustrations) versus fantasy (text) or illustrations show a fantasy which contrasts with reality.

Drac and the Gremlin by Allan Baillie illustrated by Jane Tanner

Another older example is Kirsty Knows Best illustrated by Anthony Browne. I also thought of Magic Beach by Alison Lester; A House for Wombats by Jane Burrell; Suri's wall by Lucy Estela illustrated by Matt Ottley and When You're Older by Sofie Laguna illustrated by Judy Watson. I recently discovered this old book: Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. There are sure to be lots more for this category. 

9. Page turner (anticipation and a guessing game)

I went walking by Sue Machin illustrated by Julie Vivas

Eyes in the Dark by Kim Dale; An animal guessing game by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page; Who's Next? Guess Who! by Anton Poitier illustrated by Sophia Touliatou; Animalphabet by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Sharon King-Chai; and for older readers a title from many years ago - Guess What? by Mem Fox illustrated by Vivienne Goodman. I also need to mention What's Inside: The alphabet book by Satoshi Kitamura and Brown Bear Brown bear by Bill Martin Jr illustrated by Eric Carle.

10. Participatory story 

We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Participation was always the focus of my early weeks with a new Kindergarten group. We read lots of books with a repeated refrain including We're going on a bear hunt; My Brown Bear Barney by Dorothy Butler illustrated by Elizabeth Fuller; There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof eating cake by Hazel Edwards illustrated by Deborah Niland; Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina; Peace at last by Jill Murphy; Owl Babies by Martin Waddell illustrated by Patrick Benson; and The Elephant and the bad baby by Elfrida Vipont illustrated by Raymond Briggs.

11. Leporello

I added this one to the list but I know the author of the thesis enjoys discovering these. You could add tunnel book to this category too. There is one of these inside The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg. I also have a book based on Can't you sleep little bear by Martin Waddell which you fold out and join into a circle or a carousel. 

Books that have accordion-style, or zig-zagged, pages are called leporellos (or concertinas). These books can be experienced in a few ways: readers can keep the book folded and turn the "pages," flipping the book at the end to experience the other side of the book; or they can completely unfold and expand the book to create one giant, linear narrative. Some leporellos are printed on the front and back, while others are one-sided. Let's Talk about Picture books (you can see examples)

Pages of Look by Gavin Bishop Gecko Press

12. Breaking the fourth wall and the off-stage narrator

This one is also my headings and I talk about this with lots of examples here. Look for Hide me, Kipper! by Mick Inkpen; Let’s Play! by Hervé Tullet; A Squiggly Line by Robert Vescio illustrated by Kathy Creamer; Fish and Crab by Marianna Coppo; Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne; The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston; Press Here Herve Tullet; and Escargot by Dashka Slater illustrated by Sydney Hanson. Another very curious example is Zoom by Istvan Banyai.

13. A catalogue book

Imagine by Alison Lester

I love this term catalogue book as used by the writer of this thesis. It is a perfect label for so many picture books that have no narrative but are filled with things to talk about. The big question by Leen van den Berg and illustrated by Kaatje Vermeire; Things to Look Forward to by Sophie Blackall; What to say when you don't know what to say by Davina Bell illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper (and sequels); The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown; Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia translated by Sara Lissa Paulson; If I had a little dream by Nina Laden illustrated by Melissa Castrillon; and the most obvious example The Baby's Catalogue by Allan Ahlberg.

I need to mention two more titles for this catalogue book category:

Who is the world for?

Do you wonder?

14. Poetry with pictures

Read more here. 

A Life Song

Here is a quote from the final sentence of the thesis which inspired this post (I hope you have found it interesting and useful).

The book features explored in this thesis "support the proposition that the contemporary picture book is a subtle and skillful artform. Artists, authors, publishers and most importantly readers are increasingly aware of this fact. There can be no turning back."

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

A young, unnamed slave works for a tyrannical man who purports to be a dragonkeeper. At the time of this story in ancient China the current emperor as no interest in dragons. Now there are only two left, and it is up to the young slave girl to keep them alive in their dungeon home. One morning she discovers one of the dragons has died. Now the adventures begin. 

The dragon named Danzi tells the girl her name is Ping. He explains they need to travel to the ocean, and she needs to carry his dragon stone and keep it safe at all times. Ping only has one friend in the whole world - a rat named Hua. Ping only agrees to go on this journey if Hua can come too. And what a journey it turns out to be. Ping has never been anywhere since she was taken as a slave. They walk through the most amazing countryside and encounter some kindness but also lots of danger because there is a dragon hunter who wants to capture and eventually kill Danzi and for reasons Ping cannot understand he and others also want the dragon stone.

The scene when Ping sees the ocean for the first time (only a few pages from the end of the book) reminded me of the words from the Margaret Mahy Picture book - The man whose Mother was a pirate:

He hadn’t dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn’t dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn’t thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them.”

You could compare these lines with the wonder of Ping:

"Something on the horizon reflected sunlight like a band of silver. As they drew closer the band became wider. ... The hill gave way to flat land. The silver strip became wider and wider and turned blue as they got closer to it. It wasn't solid, its dimpled surface was dipping and rising. ... Where the blue met the earth there were tiny rolls of white. Ping realised what she was looking at was water. It stretched as far as she could see to the north, to the south and east until it merged with the sky. Its size terrified. her."

I recently talked about reading stamina and long form reading. Dragonkeeper is 343 pages of fairly small print so a reader aged 10+ will need stamina and perseverance but the rewards are great. Luckily things are fairly well resolved at the end of this book but IF you want to re-enter the world of Ping there are several more installments. I took quite a few days to read Dragonkeeper and now I need to consider if I want to see the movie - I think it might disappoint me because there is no way the sweeping story and epic nature of this book could be effectively distilled into a 98-minute movie surely? If you are looking for a class read aloud this could be a good book to consider - but do read it for yourself first - read alouds only work if the teacher loves the book first! Do not kill the book but the teachers notes I have linked to below are excellent and have ideas you could pick and choose from. I won my copy of Dragonkeeper as part of a promotion of the movie - I am glad I set aside the time to read this sweeping adventure story. 

There are more plot details in this review.

Carol Wilkinson waves her pencil like a magic wand and creates a fantasy world set in 141 B.C. China that’s as real as your morning cup of coffee.  ... Ping and Danzi need all the goodness they can muster, because their journey and their lives are challenged by drunks, robbers, corrupt politicians and wizards of the underworld. Ping’s believability grows on you because she, like the nine- to twelve-year-old readers for whom the book is written, has flaws, limitations and self-doubts. In fact, Wilkinson gives us a character with which readers of all ages can identify. Historical Novel Society

I put three covers at the top of this post but you can see even more on Carole Wilkinson's web page. 

My favourite parts of this book were when Danzi the dragon offered words of wisdom to Ping. I am so happy to see the author of the teacher's notes took the trouble to collect these:

The teachers notes say: Danzi is constantly making intriguing statements that Ping doesn’t quite understand, for example: 

• “All answers lie beyond the gate of experience,” 
• “Composure is the master of haste,”
• “The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step,” 
• “The way of Heaven is to diminish excess.” 
• “It is because of its emptiness that the cup is useful.” 
• “Recognising one’s limitations is knowledge,” 
• “Sharp weapons are not the tools of the sage,” 
• “The skillful traveller leaves no trace,”
• “The straight path must sometimes be crooked,” 
• “Sometimes advancing seems like going backwards,” 
• “Nothing under Heaven is softer than water,” “Yet it can overcome the hard and the strong.”
• “The sapling is small, but none can defeat it,” 
• “Net of Heaven is cast wide. Though its mesh is not fine, nothing slips through.”
• “He who tries to take carpenter’s place, always cuts his hands,” 
• “The path is easy if you avoid turning off it.” 

Blurb from the author webpage: Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. This is the story of a young slave girl who believes she is not worthy of a name but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey — and do what must be done.

Here are some additional teacher's notes.

Awards:

• Winner 2018 Silver Award (Children's Book), Illustrators Australia Awards
• Winner 2014 Graham Davey Citation, Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) 
• Winner 2013 Gold Award – Book Series, Illustrators Australia 
• Shortlisted 2006 COOL (Canberra’s Own Outstanding List) Award
• Winner 2006 Older Readers, Kids Own Australian Literary Awards (KOALA)
• Winner 2006 Kalbacher Klapperschlange Award (Germany)
• Special mention 2004 International Youth Library’s White Ravens List
• Shortlisted 2004 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
• Winner 2004 Best Children’s Book, Queensland Premier’s Literary Award
• Winner 2004 Book of the Year (Younger Readers), Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards
• Winner 2003 Best Young Adult Book, Aurealis Awards

Check out my two previous posts:

• Read the book then see the movie
• Dragonkeeper movie review

A Lion in the Meadow by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Jenny Williams

"Mother, I'm scared to go into the meadow, because of the lion which is there."

This is a famous Margaret Mahy book from 1969. I picked up a copy in mint condition at a recent charity book fair for just AUS$1. My copy is the newer one with revised illustrations done in 1986.

In this delightful children's story, a young boy's vivid imagination brings to life a lion that he claims is hiding in the meadow near his home. His mother, initially skeptical, plays along by giving him a matchbox containing a dragon to scare the lion away. As the tale unfolds, the line between fantasy and reality blurs, leading to a heartwarming conclusion where imagination and belief create a world of wonder and possibility, highlighting the power of storytelling and the bond between parent and child. The Greatest Books

Here are some of the original illustrations - I do prefer them:

Publisher blurb: What would you do if you knew there was a lion in the meadow, but your mother doesn't believe you? And when she gives you a matchbox with a dragon hidden inside to scare away the lion, you discover that the dragon is in there too!

Margaret Mahy (1936-2012) was one of New Zealand's most celebrated children's writers. She was the author of more than 150 titles, which have been translated into many different languages and sold around the world. Appointed to the Order of New Zealand in 1993, Mahy also won many global prizes for children's writers, including the Carnegie Medal and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award from IBBY.

I wonder if A Lion in the Meadow inspired the book The Tiger who Came to Tea. Looking at the dates I guess not. The Tiger who came to Tea was written in 1968 and A Lion in the Meadow in 1969. I can see links between this book and another older book by Margaret Mahy - The Witch in the Cherry Tree also illustrated by Jenny Williams. I found an academic examination of the story in A Lion in the Meadow - the page is filled with advertisements making it hard to read but if you want a deeper analysis of this famous story take a look. I have also discovered that the new edition has a different ending! Juding by the dates I am going to hope or assume Margaret Mahy herself wrote or at least approved of this change.

Original "The mother never ever made up a story again."

New edition "So the lion in the meadow became a house lion and lived in the broom cupboard and when the little boy had apples, stories and a goodnight hug, the lion had apples, stories and a goodnight hug as well."

The Margaret Mahy Treasury

Here is a list of some picture books by Margaret Mahy - my own favourites are Jam; The Great White Man-eating Shark; and The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper. Click the label Margaret Mahy at the bottom of this post to find my blog posts about some of these.

•  A Dragon of an Ordinary Family (1969)
•  A Lion in the Meadow (1969)
•  The Princess and the Clown (1971)
•  The Boy with Two Shadows (1971)
•  17 Kings and 42 Elephants (1972)
•  The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1974)
•  The Boy Who Was Followed Home (1975)
•  The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (1976)
•  Jam (1985)
•  The Great White Man-eating Shark (1989)
•  The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper (1990)
•  The Rattlebang Picnic (1994)
•  Beaten by a Balloon (1997)
•  The Three-legged Cat (2004)
•  Down the Back of the Chair (2006)

  

The Copper Tin Cup by Carole Lexa Scharfer illustrated by Stan Fellows

"My name, my cup,' she said. And she was right. 

But she knew that the cup had not always been hers."

The initials SC are carved into the cup - SC for Sammy Carl; SC for Samantha Caroline; SC for Sam Charles; SC for Serena Carlotta; SC for Samuel and Carla - the original owners and makes of the precious cup. And look closely at the illustration on the final page because a new baby is coming. I wonder what name will be given to the next person to inherit the copper tin cup?

Blurb: Through a treasured heirloom, a family's history is revealed. The copper tin cup belongs to Sammy Carl. His initials are carved below the rim. But it was made many many years ago in a different country for his great-aunt, Serena Carlotta, and has been handed down from generation to generation ever since to children bearing the same initials. In the story of the copper tin cup is a family's history.

I was so lucky to find this book at the Lifeline book fair. It's a title I often recommend because it is perfect for history topics in Grade Two. 

There is so much you could do with this book in your class. Ask the children to find an old object in their house and ask about the back story. In my house I have an antique fire engine that belonged to my father and before that another relative back in about 1915.

Here is another book by Carole Lexa Schaefer:

Little Bear's Big Jumper by David Bedford illustrated by Caroline Pedler

Big Bear loves his jumper. It is soft and cozy and just right! Well not quite. Big Bear is now way bigger than when his mum knitted this jumper and now it is really way too small. Mum suggests Big Bear give his jumper to his brother - Little Bear. Big Bear does not want to do this but he agrees only if Little Bear promises to look after the jumper and keep it safe.

The brothers head out for a day of fun but unfortunately the fun turns into a disaster. The jumper gets wet and worse. Big Bear tells Little Bear he does not want to play anymore. But then Big Bear discovers he does need his friend (his brother) because games are better with two people. He sets out to find Little Bear to apologise but instead he finds a strand of wool. Oh no the jumper is unravelling. 

This book beautifully looks at ways to resolve a dispute and I adore the kindness of the mum at the end. If you have an older book called Little Bears Little Boat that could be a good comparison text and also it will give you a way to talk about growing up and change. 

I am not sure if this still happens but years ago an Australian publisher called Koala Books used to source terrific picture books, mainly from the UK, and publish or distribute them here in Australia. I remember in my former library a list would arrive I would just tick off nearly every title. This book Little Bear's Big Jumper was published in 2008. (US blog readers a jumper is a sweater). 

My friend has a collection of books about knitting. We always check to see if they meet the Betsy Bird's knitting image criteria - the illustration has to look like the character is actually knitting - holding the needles correctly.

Here are some other books by David Bedford:

David Bedford is also the author of an out of print but terrific little junior book series about soccer (football). 

Here are a few of my own favourite books about knitting and jumpers!

Something Absolutely Enormous

A Friendship Yarn

Extra Yarn (for older readers aged 8+)

The Bush Jumper and Lester's Dreadful Sweaters