Mr. Nick's Knitting

Mr. Nick is a knitting enthusiast. Looking like a jolly Englishman in bowler hat and moustache, he spends every day knitting on his daily train ride into the city for work. At one stop, his friend Mrs. Jolley joins him, and they both knit, clickity-clack clickity-clack, for the 45 minute ride into the city. They're both the best of friends and help each other with their knitting. Even the other passengers on the train are quite contented and comforted to hear the 4 needles steadily go (sadly, this proves this book is a work of fiction).However, one day, Mrs. Jolley doesn't ride the train, and Mr. Nick is understandably sad. He is sadder still the next day when Mrs. Jolley still is missing. He gets sad enough by the third day that he's not knitting at all, and the other passengers are beginning to miss the gentle sound of all that activity. So, Mr. Nick goes to visit his friend in the hospital.Mrs. Jolley is sick and she will be in the hospital for some time, Mr. Nick finds out. Readers will immediately notice something unusual in Mrs. Jolley's room: no color. Like early hospital rooms, there is nothing colorful to see or look at in Mrs. Jolley's room. This is in stark contrast to the previous pages where there was ALWAYS something to see from the train, ALWAYS some bright colored yarn that the two were knitting into beautiful creations (Mr. Nick was perpetually working on sweaters for his 23 nieces and nephews). Quietly, Mr. Nick sets out to change this.He knits day and night-- on the train, on his lunch hour, while eating (a wonderful watercolor picture of his yarn getting tangled up with spaghetti lights up this page) and even while taking a bath. Instead of sweaters, he's making squares. When next he visits Mrs. Jolley, he presents her with a beautiful afghan for her hospital bed with scenes of all the things she loved to look at from the train knitted into them-- trees, butterflies, two smiling friends hugging, the train, etc. So, while she's in the hospital at least, she and Mr. Nick can both look at beautiful things and knit for those 45 minutes, even though they're in different places.I liked "Mr. Nick" for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the bright and bold watercolors that grace each page (and make for an obvious and immediate contrast when they're gone in Mrs. Jolley's room). It's a perfect jumping-off point for topics such as similarities and differences, hobbies, friendship and even gender roles (who says men can't knit??). I especially liked the way the book *ended*-- Mrs. Jolley was still in the hospital, her room was still devoid of anything even remotely interesting to look at save Mr. Nick's afghan, and she was still sick. Mr. Nick was still riding the train with interesting things to look at, knitting sweaters for his 24 nieces & nephews now, and the passengers were content to listen to one pair of needles going. So, not everything was neatly finished where it began... Very much like life itself.

This book has been a long time favorite of my daughter's (now age 4). I actually bought it because I'm a knitter and was pleasantly surprised by how the story normalizes knitting (and male knitters). The pictures are beautiful. The story, about a friendship which revolves around a common hobby (knitting), is very touching. Definitely need this if there is a knitter in the house but, will enjoy it even if there is not.

At first I thought the illustrations were the best part of this book. They are so brightly colored in water color. But the story was intriguing to my daughter at two, and still is at three. It can help children understand what friends can do for friends who are in the hospital. It also shows how people can connect through their hobbies or crafts. I recommend this for anyone looking for an option to the average fairy tale story.