This book is very aptly name. It’s full of enchanting patterns depicted on children at play. I am frequently asked for a cape for a little girl’s Little Red Ridinghood. Well, it’s here in this book, only it’s pictured in a pretty green. Every little girl would love to have it. Remove the hood and you have a magician’s cape – a treat for a little boy or girl. There’s also a Wizard style cap here too. One stop shopping!
There are also crocheted crowns, caps, sweaters. The Shaggy Lion hat is a stand out! Headbands, slippers, a tutu, and a unique baby ‘wrap around’ round out the picture. But, you’ll also find a Mermaid Tail cocoon, some cute cardigans, some tot room décor and the cutest Hobby Horse you’ll ever see.
So, if you crochet for babies or tots (or preschoolers), this is the book for you. You won’t run out of projects for many years. There are over 30 projects for you to drool over and make for those special kids in your life.
This book has detailed sizing charts which are quite helpful. But there is no real Table of Contents, no Index, and no charts. The patterns are thorough and should be easy to follow if you’re a pattern reader.
Book Specs:
Running Press, Kyle Books, 2013
44 pages, soft cover
ISBN: 9780762451005
$20 US list price
If you also knit for kids, you’ll probably also enjoy Knitmare on Elm Street
, 20 Projects That Go Bump In The Night
by Hannah Simpson.
This is not a crochet book, but it was sent to me to review. It sometimes happens that publishers throw in an extra book or two, unrelated to crochet. This Paper Play book intrigued me as I am a huge fan of the Uncoloring Books which I used extensively with my own children. But, I decided to give this book to a professional to review. I turned the book over to my dear friend, Sally Gaan, who was formerly the Assistant Dean of Family and Child Development at St Louis Community College and currently volunteers (a gig she enrolled me for too!) at a local grade school. Sally is a person whose opinion I value, so I knew she would be the prefect person to give an unbiased, educated, and enlightened review of what I think is a pretty cool book. Here are her thoughts:
This book reinforces several important skills, such as eye-hand coordination, cutting with scissors, following directions, sequential order and task completion. It also encourages creativity by allowing children to add their own designs and decorations. It would appeal to children around the ages of 9-12, some older, some younger.
Several of the instructions are difficult to understand, even for an adult. See Never- Ending Card and Paper Beads as examples. It would be helpful to show a small drawing of the finished product.
Most of these ideas are based on craft projects that we did as children but it is nice to have the ideas pulled together in a book. It would make a nice holiday gift for a creative child that liked projects requiring very few additional materials.
Book Specs:
- Paperback: 112 pages
- Publisher: Running Press, August, 2013
- ISBN-10: 1908005793
- ISBN-13: 978-1908005793
- Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
- List Price $12.95 USD
Awwwww! How Sweeeeeet! I haven’t Bo’t a Book for so L-O-O-NG, that I have to relearn where in the store to find them! This would be Great for my GrandGirls! Thank YOU for the Show & Tell!
What fun to be able to make something to enhance a child’s imagination!