Book Giveaway: WOVEN OF THE WORLD by Katey Howes

Katey Howes has a new picture book, WOVEN OF THE WORLD, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova and published by Chronical Books on February 7th. They have agreed to send a copy to the one lucky winner in the US.

Just leave a comment. Reblog, tweet, or talk about it on Facebook with a link and you will get additional chances to win. Let me know other things you did to share the good news, so I can put the right amount of tickets in my basket for you. Sharing on Facebook, Twitter or reblogging really helps spread the word for a new book. So, thanks for helping Katey and Dinara.

If you have signed up to follow my blog and it is delivered to you everyday, please let me know when you leave a comment and I will give you an extra ticket. If you want to make sure you don’t miss seeing that you won, please click “Notify Me of Follow-Up Comments by Email” box. I will leave a comment in reply if you win the book. Thanks!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Told from the perspective of a young girl learning to weave, Woven of the World is a lyrical meditation on the ancient art of weaving and what this beautiful craft can teach us.

As rhythmic as the swish of a loom, and as vibrant as a skein of brightly dyed wool, this lyrical picture book shares the history and practice of weaving through the centuries and around the world, as imagined by a young weaver learning her craft. Her family’s weaving practice helps her feel connected to the past and hopeful for the future. It shows her that each of us is a tapestry: a unique, rich, and beautifully interwoven combination of traits and traditions, with a pattern that is still emerging.

At once a celebration of a time-honored art and a meditation on the ways we are interconnected, this artfully woven narrative gathers the threads of weaving as a technical skill, a cultural tradition, and as a metaphor for how our lives are knit together, into a radiantly intertwined whole.

WEAVING AROUND THE WORLD: The vignettes in this book give just a few glimpses into the world’s countless weaving traditions. They highlight milestone moments in history, as well as ongoing, contemporary artistry. From the nomadic Fulani of West Africa to the Coastal Salish of North America, and from Uzbekistan to Peru to Egypt, this lush picture book celebrates eight moments in weaving history around the world.

Perfect for:

• • Parents and grandparents
  • Teachers and librarians
  • Fans of weaving or folk arts

BOOK JOURNEY:

This book started in 2016, when I was having discussions with my kids about the ways people – especially our wonderful neighbors from many different cultures and backgrounds – brought traditions together and created new and beautiful ones. My kids asked for (ok, demanded) a description of this that fit better than the cliché  “melting pot” or “tossed salad.” And as we searched together, we came across a quote from the brilliant Maya Angelou:

““We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Angelou’s metaphor spoke to us as a strong description of our neighborhood – how unique and warm and beautiful it was because of the many threads that came together there. How valuable each thread was. How the picture they created together was more than the sum of their parts.

And as I thought about how accurate the image of a tapestry was to describe diversity, it also struck me that each person could be seen as a tapestry, woven of their ancestry, their influences, their learning and their loves. The metaphor would not let me go – so though I knew very little about tapestries or weaving, I started to research them.

Photos from my first visit to The Spinnery in Frenchtown, NJ, May 2017.

In May 2017, I made a phone call and headed to Frenchtown, New Jersey, to a little shop called The Spinnery, with a notebook and a list of questions a mile long. The wonderful owner, Betty, took time to answer my questions, loan me books, suggest references, and inspire my imagination.

From there, my pile of research grew. I learned that weaving is one of the most pervasive art forms in the world, and I went down quite a few rabbit holes, learning about weaving practices, patterns, and tools from different places and times. I collected A LOT of books.

Brain and heart full of ideas, I tried several formats and storylines. The book slowly evolved into a series of vignettes, showcasing a variety of weaving practices from around the world and throughout history.

I also built a message about the value of passing an art like weaving from generation to generation, centering the story in the voice of a child as she learns weaving from her elder.

When Ariel Richardson at Chronicle read the manuscript, she had an illustrator in mind right away. She knew Dinara Mirtalipova’s skill at and knowledge of folk art, her love of textiles and the value of passing their art between generations. She knew Dinara would be the perfect person to bring this celebration of weaving to life!

Dinara dug into research, as well, making sure to represent the different cultures and traditions in the book accurately, but respectfully. And because of her Uzbek heritage and strong connections to textile traditions handed down to her by family members, we swapped out a vignette in the manuscript for one focused on traditional Uzbek wedding clothing, woven in iconic ikat.

It took several years for all these pieces to come together, for us to revise the backmatter, for experts to review the words and art. But this January, 2023 – almost six years after my first visit to The Spinnery weaving shop – I dropped by unannounced with a gift.

Image of Betty, owner of the Spinnery, holding an advance copy of Woven of the World and Image of acknowledgements in the book.

The joy of sharing this book with Betty, who helped me get started on the journey, was incredible. I only hope that others who pick up this book and read it will find even a fraction of the excitement, wonder, and resonance in its words and art that she did.  Whether you’re familiar with weaving or not, I think it will speak to you.  Because, you know:

“We all are tapestries, woven of the world.

We are lifelines interlacing, yarn of many sources swirled.

 

In our patterns, there is purpose.

In our softness, strength abides.

Warmth and beauty still unfolding, growing,

As the shuttle glides.”

KATEY’S BIO:

Katey Howes is an award-winning picture book author and poet. She’s passionate about raising kids who love to read, and about helping kids recognize that they are makers, inventors, and creators! A former physical therapist, Katey is fascinated by physics and biology, reads everything from classic children’s lit to modern neuroscience, and has strong opinions about commas.

When not writing for children, Katey contributes to websites such as Nerdy BookClub, KidLit411, STEAM-powered Family, and Imagination Soup. She has presented at NCTE and several nErDcamps and taught picture book writing and revision at the SCBWI NJ Fall Craft Weekend.

Formerly a physical therapist, Katey now divides her time between writing, crafting, and raising three ravenous readers. You can hear Katey interviewed on podcasts such as Reading With Your Kids, Lu and Bean Read, and All the Wonders.

She lives in Bucks County with her husband, three children, and a pup named Samwise Gamgee. She and her family enjoy making everything from cupcakes to castles to catapults, exploring their wooded property, and traveling to new and exciting places. You can get to know her better at:

WEBSITE: http://www.kateyhowes.com

TWITTER: @Kateywrites

INSTAGRAM: @kidlitlove.

Katey is represented by Essie White of Storm Literary Agency. 

Dinara Mirtalipova is a self taught illustrator/designer. Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, she eventually landed in snowy Ohio and works from her home studio in and lives in Sagamore Hills.  She uses a wide range of materials and tools, like carving lino blocks, gouache, acrylics and many others. She has been working with many great brands, publishing companies and ad agencies and she is continuously looking forward to making new friends.

 DINARA’S BIO:

Dinara studied Computer Science at the Tashkent State University of Economics, however her true passion was always patterns and illustration. Raised in Soviet Uzbek culture, she inhabited Uzbek/Russian folklore that still influences her work.

You can learn more about Dinara at http://www.mirdinara.com or follow her on Instagram @mirdinara.

Thank you Katey for sharing your book and journey. I love how you have used weaving a a metaphor for life. Just like there is an uncertainty in life, there is an uncertainty while weaving as to how the pattern will unfold. I love that you included content on the history of weaving, how weaving works at the back of the book. With your rhyming text and Dinara’s gorgeous illustrations the two of you have created a wonderful, lyrical picture book that children will love to have read aloud to them many times. Good luck with the book.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy