I love to craft almost as much as I love reading. If I don’t have a book in my hands, it’s probably because I’m holding knitting needles. (Check out some of my creations in Knit for Justice, my Etsy store, where I donate at least 10% of all sales to mutual aid and justice causes.) So why has it taken me so long to put a list together of children’s books about sewing, knitting, weaving, and other needlecrafts?
The books on this list are great for budding crafters, or for inspiring young readers to try out sewing, quilting, knitting, and weaving. Many of the books share themes of how crafting can be used to convey history, culture, and generosity.
Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I was provided with a digital copy of Anansi and the Talking Cloth by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Picture books about sewing and quilting
Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale by JaNay Brown-Wood. Illustrated by John Joven.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
In this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Mahogany has just finished sewing a stylish patchwork red cape when Momma sends her off to G-Ma’s house with a delicious pan of honey cornbread. Despite Momma’s instructions to “keep an eye on your surroundings,” Mahogany is distracted by her phone, and when it runs out of battery, the sights and smells of the forest.
Though she’s a bit distracted, Mahogany is no fool. After the wolf eats her honey cornbread, she figures out how to use her new cape (as well as her weaving skills) to keep herself safe. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Black author.)
Patchwork Prince by Baptiste Paul. Illustrated by Kitt Thomas.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Inspired by the author’s childhood in St. Lucia, this cheerful story describes how a mother and son use the finest fabric to create stunning patchwork clothing.
While adults may recognize that the queen has to scavenge fabric for her prince’s clothing out of poverty, young readers will likely focus on the beauty and pride that she creates for her prince through her design and sewing skills. As his queen leads him on adventures, he has no doubts that he is truly royalty. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Black author.)
Daddy Dressed Me by Michael Gardner and Ava Gardner. Illustrated by Nadia Fisher.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
In this true story, a father and daughter duo write about how the unique clothing Daddy designs for his little girl give her confidence and pride. When her teacher announces that that there will be a special moving up ceremony to mark the end of kindergarten, Ava is both excited and nervous. She has to memorize and recite part of a poem on stage, and there’s so much that could go wrong.
Daddy promises to help her practice, which he does while making the most complicated dress Ava has requested yet. Both Daddy and Ava are challenged by the jobs they need to complete. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Black authors.)
Never struggle to find the right diverse or social justice book again with my Anti-Bias Children’s Book Database!
The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil. Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Kanzi doesn’t know anyone yet in her new town, and her deepest desire is to not be different. But when Mama shows up at school and calls her “Habibti” (“my love” in Arabic), Molly’s teasing dashes Kanzi’s hopes of blending in.
At home, she comforts herself by writing a poem to her Teita (grandma) while wrapped in the beautiful quilt Teita made her in Egypt. Little does Kanzi know that with her teacher and Mama’s help, the quilt will become a symbol of unity in their classroom. Bilingual families will love the story’s encouragement to be proud of one’s language and culture. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Egyptian American author.)
Related post: Children’s books about Arab American heritage
Me and the Boss: A Story About Mending and Love by Michelle Edwards. Illustrated by April Harrison.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Lee calls his big sister Zora “the boss,” and it won’t take young readers long to figure out why! When Zora takes Lee to an embroidery class at the library, Mrs. C. assumes at first that he’s too young to get his own needle and thread. The boss convinces Mrs. C. he’s old enough, and Lee tries his best. Whenever he makes mistakes, Mrs. C. reminds him to “take your time, Lee.” By the time they leave the class, Zora has completed her design, but Lee is nowhere close to finished. At home, he’s determined to follow Miss C.’s advice to complete his project, but her instructions take him much farther than he expects. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White author.)
Stitchin’ and Pullin’: A Gee’s Bend Quilt by Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
With stunning illustrations of Gee’s Bend quilts and the women who make them, the poems in this unique book tell the history of the remote Alabama community founded by formerly enslaved tenant farmers.
It’s a special day for Baby Girl, because it’s finally time for Grandma to teach her how to piece her own quilt. Her Mama has told her that “cloth has a memory,” and as Baby Girl chooses her quilt fabrics, they help her tell the long history of her community. (Recommended for ages 6 – 10. Black author.)
Related post: Picture books about Black history
Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
This biography of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly uses striking collage and watercolor illustrations and excerpts from Keckly’s autobiography to tell the story of this remarkable seamstress.
As an enslaved child, Lizzy learned to sew from her mother, who was also a seamstress. As an adult, Lizzy’s enslaver was so poor that he agreed to let her work for other families. Because he was in debt, he reluctantly agreed to allow Lizzy to purchase her freedom. The beautiful dresses she designed and stitched were worn by Confederate generals’ wives, though Keckly soon became Mary Todd Lincoln’s personal seamstress. (Recommended for ages 7 – 10. Black author.)
Related post: How should we talk with children about slavery? (includes recommended children’s books)
Picture books about knitting
Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
This tale of a grandmother who needs to finish her winter knitting but keeps getting interrupted is laugh-out-loud funny. Surrounded by dozens of grandchildren who play with, hit, and even eat her yarn, she heads off into the woods to knit the children’s winter sweaters. Little does she know how hard it will be to find a place where she can knit in peace!(Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Russian American author.)
Shop the entire list of books about sewing, quilting, weaving and knitting on Bookshop.org!
(Supports independent bookstores and my business!)
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story about Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Mrs. Goldman has been knitting hats for Sophia since she was a baby (and many other people) as a “mitzah” (good deed). She even tried to teach Sophia to knit, but making pom poms was the only part Sophia enjoyed.
One day Sophia realizes that Mrs. Goldman never has time to make her own hat, so her “keppie” (head) must be freezing. Can Sophia do the hard work of really learning to knit so that Mrs. Goldman’s keppie will be warm? Sweet illustrations capture the painstaking learning process, and the story encourages children to not only be generous, but to also let go of perfectionist ideas about what a gift should be. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White Jewish author.)
Related post: Children’s books starring Jewish characters
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Annabelle lives in a cold town where everything “was either the white or snow or the black of soot from chimneys.” But when she discovers a box filled with colorful yarn, she finds it has more than enough to knit herself a beautiful sweater. With the leftovers, she knits her dog a sweater, but there’s still more yarn. As Annabelle knits more and more sweaters for animals and neighbors alike, it’s clear this is no ordinary yarn. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White author.)
Miss Mary’s Christmas Mittens by Trinka Hakes Noble. Illustrated by Renée Andriana.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
It’s recess time on a snowy day, and Miss Mary is all bundled up from head to toe, including the mittens she knit herself. Unfortunately, none of her students can enjoy the snow because they all have bare hands. Christmas is right around the corner, and Miss Mary decides to knit every student a pair of their own gloves. But when she arrives at the yarn store, they’re completely sold out! Undeterred, Miss Mary heads home to figure out how she can knit the mittens her students need. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White author.)
Related post: Diverse children’s books about generosity
Picture books about weaving
Anansi and the Talking Cloth by Caroline Brewer with Kwasi Asare. Illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
In this modern spin on an Anansi tale, playful rhyming text and stunning collage illustrations share the story of kente cloth. Much more than a fabric, kente is “the talking cloth” that is closely linked to storytelling. After all, Anansi is known both for his storytelling and his weaving. Yet as the town’s Chief Griot, Anansi doesn’t always follow his own stories’ advice on how to “be good and wise.”
When Anansi starts purchasing machine-made kente cloth, he doesn’t seem to care that there are no stories woven into the fabric. But when the weavers close up shop because their businesses are being neglected in favor of the “mock kente cloth,” Anansi must figure out how to bring them back.
This color-saturated, visually engaging book deftly weaves together themes of culture, the value of artisans, and the need for community support. It’s a delightful read aloud. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. Black American author with Ghanian author.)
Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoíris by Linda Elovitz Marshall. Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri.
Like many Mayan women in Guatemala, Ixchel’s Mama weaves beautifully patterned cloth. Ixchel wants to weave too, both because she loves the cloth, but also to help pay for school. Her Mama’s thread is too precious to waste, so Ixchel tries making her own loom and weaving grass.
Later she tries with bits of wool, but neither material results in beautiful fabric that people would want to buy. As Ixchel walks through the village, there are so many colorful plastic bags swirling around that she can hardly walk. Could she have found a new source for “thread” that could also clean up her community? (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. White author.)
Abuela’s Weave by Omar S. Castañeda. Illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Esperenza and her grandmother, like generations of Mayan women before them, weave beautiful clothing and wall hangings by hand. It’s almost time for them to travel to the market in Guatemala City to sell what they’ve made.
Esperenza is nervous because so many people these days are buying machine-made cloth. Because of her grandmother’ birthmark, some of the children have started a rumor that her Abuela is a witch. This made some people frightened to buy from her, so Esperenza will have to sell their cloth by herself.
I loved all the details children learn about the art of weaving. Esperenza’s persistence despite her fears drew us into this quiet story. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Guatemalan American author.)
Related post: Children’s books about Guatemala
Chapter books about sewing and quilting
Catalina Incognito by Jennifer Torres. Illustrated by Gladys Jose.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
In this intermediate reader chapter book about sewing, young readers meet perfectionist Catalina Castañeda. Her family labels her as quisquillosa (persnickety), but Catalina just wants everything to be right.
Catalina’s also a bit puzzled by her Tía Abuela’s birthday gift of a small sewing kit, but in their first sewing lesson, she discovers the little velvet bag is quite special. As long as Catalina’s stitches are strong and she uses the special golden thread inside the bag, she can make disguises that allow her to go incognito. For readers who love the book, there’s a whole series. (Recommended for ages 7 – 9. Mexican American author.)
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
When Hanna and her father arrive in Dakota Territory, they’ve been traveling for a long time by covered wagon. Ever since Mama died a few years back, Papa has been searching for a new home for them. Often, because of the racist hostility Hanna faces for being half-Chinese, they’ve had to move on.
But perhaps here in LaForge, Hanna can finally attend school, make at least one friend, and realize her dream of becoming a dressmaker. Her father is gruff and protective, wanting to shield Hanna from the discrimination her mother faced. Papa has agreed that they’ll open a fabric shop in the new town, but he doesn’t think it’s safe for Hanna to sell the dresses she makes in the store. While Hanna knows that she’ll always have to deal with racism, she also knows that Mama told her to fight unfairness where she could. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Korean American author.)
Related post: 12 alternatives to Little House on the Prairie books
When the World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
Sewing isn’t the main theme of this book about four New York City kids surviving the early days of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter 2020 uprising. However, it is part of an important sub-plot of this honest, heartfelt, and sometimes painful story.
Shayla, Liam, Ai, and Ben have been friends since they were little. But Shayla has recently tried to strike out on her own with more popular girls at school, hurting Ai especially. When school is suddenly cancelled, the group’s first thought is of Liam, who at times suffers from crippling anxiety. Each child faces struggles at home, from a mom so deep in depression she doesn’t leave her room to a dad whose dressmaking business has to close down because there are no more fancy events for people to attend.
Despite the pain they and their families are going through, the “Quartet” of friends slowly discover ways to support people in their building during the pandemic, and how they can speak up against racism even if they’re too young to attend big protests. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Black author.)
Related post: Books for kids and teens about Black Lives Matter
Rad American History A – Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl.
Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)
This lively history of movements for social change unpacks an impressive variety of activism throughout U.S. history. Crafty young people and history buffs alike will find this book’s chapter on quilting to be fascinating.
The chapter describes four times in U.S. history when quilting was an important aspect of social change. The entries include the story of formerly enslaved quilter Harriet Powers and her documentation African American history with needle, fabric, and thread. Hawaii’s last queen, Lili-uokalani, who was unjustly imprisoned by the United Sates in the royal palace, made a quilt to document her life and Hawaii’s history. The making of the 2,000 panel AIDS memorial quilt in 1987 is also included. (Recommended for ages 10+. White authors.)
