Yetsa's Sweater

by Sylvia Olsen, Joan Larson (Illustrator)

Overview

On a fresh spring day, young Yetsa, her mother and her grandmother gather to prepare the sheep fleeces piled in Grandma's yard. As they clean, wash and dry the fleece, laughter and hard work connect the three generations. Through Yetsa's sensual experience of each task, the reader joins this family in an old but vibrant tradition: the creation of Cowichan sweaters. Each sweater is unique, and its design tells a story. In Yetsa's Sweater, that story is one of love, welcome and pride in a job well done.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781550392029
Publisher:	Sono Nis Press
Publication date:	03/01/2013
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sylvia Olsen is an award-winning author of many books, including young adult novels, first readers, picture books, history and personal-essay. She also writes about knitting and designs knitting patterns. Sylvia teaches First Nations housing management at Vancouver Island University and works toward creating new housing opportunities on reserves in Canada. Sylvia lives in North Saanich, British Columbia on W_SÁNEC territory.

Read an Excerpt

"What are you knitting into this sweater, Grandma?" Yetsa asks.

Grandma smiles. "Flowers. Fish and waves. Woolly clouds, and blackberries."

Editorial Reviews

PreS - Gr 3 - Children who wonder how wool gets from the sheep into the sweater will find their answers here. A grandmother and her granddaughter participate in a 100-year-old tradition that represents a blending of the knitting skills of Scottish immigrants and the woolworking talents of the Cowichan tribe, according to an author's note. Realistic outdoor compositions portray three generations pulling debris (including sheep dung) from the fiber, washing and stirring it in enormous pots, and then wringing and hanging the heavy strands to dry. The processes of "teasing," carding, and spinning lead up to a scene of Grandma knitting the gray, white, and black yarns into the patterns, rich in symbolism, that adorn her loved one's sweater. Larson's pastels create a marvelous range of textures from the grain of the wooden fence to the fluff of the drying wool. Set in British Columbia, the story will have wide appeal, not the least of which includes its use as an informative how-to and a tale of strong family bonds. Pair this with Tomie dePaola's Charlie Needs a Cloak(S & S, 1973) for the sheep's point of view.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

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