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Sneeuwwitje
How to Knit a Monster
A delightfully quirky celebration of the power of creativity and the secret magic of knitting.
Greta the goat is a wonderfully accomplished knitter. She can even knit little goats and turn them loose to play around her feet. But when she gets distracted from her knitting, threatening creatures spring from her needles, each more menacing than the last. It takes quick thinking, courage, and brilliant knitting for Greta to find her way out of a perilous situation.
In this whimsical story, creativity and craft empower our heroine to restore her safety . . . as long as she pays attention to what is growing on her knitting needles!
Greta the goat is a wonderfully accomplished knitter. She can even knit little goats and turn them loose to play around her feet. But when she gets distracted from her knitting, threatening creatures spring from her needles, each more menacing than the last. It takes quick thinking, courage, and brilliant knitting for Greta to find her way out of a perilous situation.
In this whimsical story, creativity and craft empower our heroine to restore her safety . . . as long as she pays attention to what is growing on her knitting needles!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 8, 2016
Genoten van dit grappige en spannende prentenboek. Ik had het bij de voorkant nog helemaal niet door dat er er geitje te zien was, dit ontdekte ik pas toen ik begon te lezen. Het lijkt me geweldig om dit boek vol spanning voor te lezen aan een groep kinderen en dan aan het eind te fantaseren hoe het nu verder zou gaan met Sneeuwwitje... Die laatste prent roept wel om een nieuw verhaal, vind ik.
December 1, 2022
Discutirlo en clase fue muy interesante. El título original dice algo así como ''Blancanieves teje un monstruo'', pero en la versión en inglés esa referencia explícita a los cuentos desaparece. También cambia la presentación de las ilustraciones, en este caso a favor de la versión anglófona, que potencia la sorpresa y oculta los plot twists con el cambio de página. De este modo, el efecto y mensaje cambia mucho según la versión que leas.
June 7, 2024
Eine Ziege (Schneewittchen) die super stricken kann,
Aber in einem Moment wo sie abgelenkt und wütend ist, strickt sie plötzlich einen Wolf. Der dann lebendig umherwütet.
Und ab da geht es richtig los. Und es braucht gleichzeitig ihre ganzen Strickkünste und ihren Scharfsinn um bei dieser Geschichte ein Happy End sichern zu können.
Aber in einem Moment wo sie abgelenkt und wütend ist, strickt sie plötzlich einen Wolf. Der dann lebendig umherwütet.
Und ab da geht es richtig los. Und es braucht gleichzeitig ihre ganzen Strickkünste und ihren Scharfsinn um bei dieser Geschichte ein Happy End sichern zu können.
August 12, 2018
Goat likes to knit some pretty cool things.
September 19, 2018
Very imaginative and it definitely made me smile. =)
September 27, 2018
So funny and unexpected! Similar feel to Written and Drawn by Henrietta.
March 26, 2019
Delightfully weird
February 21, 2016
Originele titel die me een heel andere indruk van het verhaal gaf. Ik zat meer aan een typisch sprookje te denken. Maar niets was minder waar. Dit prachtige prentenboek brengt een modern sprookje. Lekker compact en modern. Met platen die indruk maken op de (jonge) lezer. Gelukkig komt her allemaal goed :) (22e boek voor boekenbingo 2016)
September 26, 2019
I laughed out loud at this book. It was a tiny bit embarrassing as I was sitting at the library desk. Knitting and monsters are two of my favorite things, combining them with humor in a children's book is sheer delight! I think this is a book that will appeal to a small audience, but they will LOVE it.
October 15, 2018
Why we chose this book:
T is super into monsters, and the synopsis sounded like the protagonist engaged in creative problem solving. I thought this was a good fit, so requested a review copy, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided one.
Mom's Review (V)
Greta Goat is inattentive while knitting and inadvertently creates a wolf that gobbles up an unkind visitor, Mrs. Sheep. She knits increasingly ferocious creatures until she has a monster, which she keeps on her needles so that she can unravel it after it eats the last fearsome creation. Mrs. Sheep is freed and repentant of her treatment of Greta.
I have mixed feelings about this book because it was not quite what I expected. I like the premise of having to knit a monster to protect yourself from your other monstrous knitting mistakes. I like how Greta Goat thinks on the fly and works toward a solution to her problem; at first she makes the problem worse, but eventually fixes things. Perseverance and resourcefulness are admirable traits, and it's good for kids to see that success doesn't always happen with the first attempt. I also like that Greta's knitting takes on a life of its own, as sometimes it feels like projects do. The art is cute, and I like the different knitting details I notice each time I read it to T. All these things sound great, and they are.
The two things that I didn't like were how scary the monster looks and how mean the visitor is. T likes spooky things, as I may have mentioned once or twice...But this monster scared him. On the cover the monster looks kinda cute, but inside it does look creepy with its empty white eyes and terrible expression. If you are reading to someone who isn't three years old, then you would probably be fine, but if you have a young one, I want to give you a heads up. This is minor, as it is a matter of perception. The visitor, however, is labeled as "mean Mrs. Sheep, " and she comes to Greta's home solely to castigate Greta for her knitting abilities. Why is she so mean? And then Mrs. Sheep apologizes and praises Greta's knitting in superlative terms after being eaten by the wolf Greta knit. This doesn't seem to me to be a very good example of reconciliation: one person verbally attacks another, is submitted to a terrifying experience from which she luckily escapes with her life, and then praises her earlier victim to the moon. What lesson is the reader supposed to take away from this?
Son's Review (T)
(Age: 3 and 1/2 years)
Before reading:
Mom: What do you want to read?
Son: I choose How to Knit a Monster.
Mom: Why do you choose this one right now?
Son, playing with a little vampire, a witch, and a black cat: Because those are all Halloween stuff.
After reading:
Mom: Do you like Mrs. Sheep? Why not? How is she mean?
Son: No. Because she is mean. She used mean words.
Mom: And how did that make Greta feel?
Son: Annoyed.
Mom: Do you think Greta's feelings were hurt?
Son: Yeah. Why do you think she wasn't watching her knitting?
Mom: I think she was so upset that she was only thinking about her feelings and not her knitting. Do you get upset sometimes?
Son: Yeah. When it's bedtime.
Mom: And is it hard to think about other things? What do you do?
Son: Yeah. I calm my feelings.
Mom: How do you calm your feelings?
Son: So I just walk away from the person who is aggravating me. And then I say, "Why were you aggravating me?"
Mom: Taking time to calm down and then talking out your feelings are healthy ways to deal with upsetness. Those are good things to do. What would you tell Greta?
Son: I would say, "Maybe you could walk away from the person who is being mean."
Mom: And what would you tell Mrs. Sheep?
Son: I would tell her, "Don't be mean to Greta. Be friendly." That's what I would say to mean Mrs. Sheep.
_______________________________________
Mom: What did this book make you feel?
Son: Kinda angry that the Mrs. Sheep made Greta feel sad.
Mom: And what do you learn from this book?
Son: That you shouldn't make people feel sad.
Mom: And did you learn anything about solving problems?
Son: Yeah. To express your feelings.
Mom: And when is it a good time to read this book? Why?
Son: When I'm feeling mad. To teach me how to solve my mad feelings.
Mom: How will it help you to solve your mad feelings?
Son: I don't know.
(Me neither, to be honest.)
Mom: And who might like this book?
Son: My friend, G. I mean my cousin.
Mom: And what's the most important thing to know about this book?
Son: That it's a great book.
T is super into monsters, and the synopsis sounded like the protagonist engaged in creative problem solving. I thought this was a good fit, so requested a review copy, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided one.
Mom's Review (V)
Greta Goat is inattentive while knitting and inadvertently creates a wolf that gobbles up an unkind visitor, Mrs. Sheep. She knits increasingly ferocious creatures until she has a monster, which she keeps on her needles so that she can unravel it after it eats the last fearsome creation. Mrs. Sheep is freed and repentant of her treatment of Greta.
I have mixed feelings about this book because it was not quite what I expected. I like the premise of having to knit a monster to protect yourself from your other monstrous knitting mistakes. I like how Greta Goat thinks on the fly and works toward a solution to her problem; at first she makes the problem worse, but eventually fixes things. Perseverance and resourcefulness are admirable traits, and it's good for kids to see that success doesn't always happen with the first attempt. I also like that Greta's knitting takes on a life of its own, as sometimes it feels like projects do. The art is cute, and I like the different knitting details I notice each time I read it to T. All these things sound great, and they are.
The two things that I didn't like were how scary the monster looks and how mean the visitor is. T likes spooky things, as I may have mentioned once or twice...But this monster scared him. On the cover the monster looks kinda cute, but inside it does look creepy with its empty white eyes and terrible expression. If you are reading to someone who isn't three years old, then you would probably be fine, but if you have a young one, I want to give you a heads up. This is minor, as it is a matter of perception. The visitor, however, is labeled as "mean Mrs. Sheep, " and she comes to Greta's home solely to castigate Greta for her knitting abilities. Why is she so mean? And then Mrs. Sheep apologizes and praises Greta's knitting in superlative terms after being eaten by the wolf Greta knit. This doesn't seem to me to be a very good example of reconciliation: one person verbally attacks another, is submitted to a terrifying experience from which she luckily escapes with her life, and then praises her earlier victim to the moon. What lesson is the reader supposed to take away from this?
Son's Review (T)
(Age: 3 and 1/2 years)
Before reading:
Mom: What do you want to read?
Son: I choose How to Knit a Monster.
Mom: Why do you choose this one right now?
Son, playing with a little vampire, a witch, and a black cat: Because those are all Halloween stuff.
After reading:
Mom: Do you like Mrs. Sheep? Why not? How is she mean?
Son: No. Because she is mean. She used mean words.
Mom: And how did that make Greta feel?
Son: Annoyed.
Mom: Do you think Greta's feelings were hurt?
Son: Yeah. Why do you think she wasn't watching her knitting?
Mom: I think she was so upset that she was only thinking about her feelings and not her knitting. Do you get upset sometimes?
Son: Yeah. When it's bedtime.
Mom: And is it hard to think about other things? What do you do?
Son: Yeah. I calm my feelings.
Mom: How do you calm your feelings?
Son: So I just walk away from the person who is aggravating me. And then I say, "Why were you aggravating me?"
Mom: Taking time to calm down and then talking out your feelings are healthy ways to deal with upsetness. Those are good things to do. What would you tell Greta?
Son: I would say, "Maybe you could walk away from the person who is being mean."
Mom: And what would you tell Mrs. Sheep?
Son: I would tell her, "Don't be mean to Greta. Be friendly." That's what I would say to mean Mrs. Sheep.
_______________________________________
Mom: What did this book make you feel?
Son: Kinda angry that the Mrs. Sheep made Greta feel sad.
Mom: And what do you learn from this book?
Son: That you shouldn't make people feel sad.
Mom: And did you learn anything about solving problems?
Son: Yeah. To express your feelings.
Mom: And when is it a good time to read this book? Why?
Son: When I'm feeling mad. To teach me how to solve my mad feelings.
Mom: How will it help you to solve your mad feelings?
Son: I don't know.
(Me neither, to be honest.)
Mom: And who might like this book?
Son: My friend, G. I mean my cousin.
Mom: And what's the most important thing to know about this book?
Son: That it's a great book.
November 5, 2018
How to Knit a Monster by Annemarie van Haeringen. PICTURE BOOK. Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2014. $18. 9781328842107
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Greta is a goat who knits a lot. One day she is knitting baby goats when Mrs. Sheep comes in and says that she is a better knitter. Goat is so distracted she knits until her knitting turns into a wolf and the wolf eats Mrs. Wolf. Greta knits a tiger to eat the wolf and a monster to eat the tiger. Greta gets smart with the monster and holds on to the tread so she can unravel the animals until Mrs. Sheep is free.
My kids enjoyed this book a lot. The end has a visual joke that they laughed out loud at. The text might be a little violent for some young readers, but it is a fun story to image what could happen from getting distracted. The illustrations are a stylized but still very literal and bright.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Greta is a goat who knits a lot. One day she is knitting baby goats when Mrs. Sheep comes in and says that she is a better knitter. Goat is so distracted she knits until her knitting turns into a wolf and the wolf eats Mrs. Wolf. Greta knits a tiger to eat the wolf and a monster to eat the tiger. Greta gets smart with the monster and holds on to the tread so she can unravel the animals until Mrs. Sheep is free.
My kids enjoyed this book a lot. The end has a visual joke that they laughed out loud at. The text might be a little violent for some young readers, but it is a fun story to image what could happen from getting distracted. The illustrations are a stylized but still very literal and bright.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
August 22, 2018
This clever picture book, first published in the Netherlands in 2014, celebrates craftiness and creativity. Greta the goat is very good at knitting. One day she knits herself several little goats and she's very pleased by them. But Mrs. Sheep comes over and throws shade on Greta's knitting skills and makes Greta feel bad. Without thinking, Greta knits a wolf which promptly gobbles up the nasty Mrs. Sheep. This starts a whole series of progressively bigger yarn animals to try to fix the growing problem in Greta's house. Young readers will be anxious to see how Greta is going to solve this problem without getting eaten by her own creations. This might be a good opportunity to discuss conflict and resolution and making predictions while reading. This also might inspire some creativity for young writers who might want to imagine their own crafty creations. This book would pair well with Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.
October 11, 2018
Greta the goat is happily knitting baby goats when Martha the mean sheep interrupts her with insults about the quality of her work. This distracts Greta from her work so instead of knitting another baby goat, Greta knits a wolf who pounces off her needles and eats the baby goats and Martha. Greta hides in the closet, but when the wolf comes after her she quickly knits a tiger who eats the wolf. Now she's in even worse trouble and has to knit a monster to eat the tiger. But Greta uses her head and finds a way to save herself and Martha.
April 12, 2019
Greta the goat is a knitter, not just any kind of knitter, a sock knitter. One day Greta decides to try knitting something new and is having fun making little knit goats when Mrs. Sheep comes along and brags that she is a much better knitter than Greta. Upset, Greta doesn’t watch what she is knitting and things soon get out of hand. Greta must use her quick wit and talent for knitting to save the day. Bold and unconventional illustrations help make this quirky story a success. It is sure to be a hit for those who enjoyed David Elliott’s Baabwaa and Wooliam. Recommended for K-2.
November 1, 2019
One recurring motif in today's books was goats. Another was knitting. I do not knit, although I love a good sweater.
It's a funny story with unanticipated twists, and yet, familiar as the old woman who swallowed a fly. The art is engaging and works well with the text. The juxtaposition between clever solutions to problems with inattention and the sheer goofiness of knitting a monster amuses me mightily.
Library copy
It's a funny story with unanticipated twists, and yet, familiar as the old woman who swallowed a fly. The art is engaging and works well with the text. The juxtaposition between clever solutions to problems with inattention and the sheer goofiness of knitting a monster amuses me mightily.
Library copy
April 4, 2019
I loved this story because it reads like a fable. A goat's knitting creations come to life, Mrs. Sheep proposes a competition, the creations start to eat everything with the monster as the last creation. The goat solves the problem my unraveling her creations which frees Mrs. Sheep. This story is a little on the scary side for little kids but upper elementary children would enjoy this story.
October 6, 2018
Reminds me “The Old Lady and the Spider,” as well as folktales about art that comes to life. The heroine has a masterful solution to (nearly) every problem, and there’s an amusing comeuppance for another rather boastful crafter.
October 15, 2018
An experiment in knitting leads to something NO ONE expected. I'm saving this for a knitting storytime. It's full of imaginative problem-solving and humor. The illustrations remind me of Quentin Blake and fit this whimsical, slightly dark children's book to a tee.
October 22, 2018
Something different, a goat that can knit? Not only can Greta knit, she can knit animals and monsters! Give this to fans of Emily Gravett's books or her style of humor or Maurice Sendek's Pierre.
An import from Holland.
An import from Holland.
December 2, 2018
Greta is a very good knitter, but her neighbour claims that her own knitting is far better than Greta's. When Greta gets upset about that she doesn't watch what she's knitting and makes something big and unexpected. Fun illustrations.
November 12, 2020
I wanted to love this book but wound up a bit irritated instead. Who was this mean Mrs. Sheep, and why did she feel the need to burst into Greta's house and begin insulting her and her knitting? The total humiliation and abject groveling by Mrs. Sheep at the end was painful to witness.
January 4, 2018
Greta the goat knits a monster to show she is an excellent knitter; however things get a little out of hand.
July 21, 2018
This is a funny and scary little picture book about a goat who can knit things that come alive. I loved her problem solving strategies!
August 14, 2018
For all you knitters out there, be careful what you create! this is a quirky story with clever illustrations.
August 18, 2018
What can happen when your knitting getss out of hand. Originally published in The Netherlands.
September 21, 2018
It's a quick and fun story about a goat who is good at knitting...maybe a little too good.
September 25, 2018
Amusing
October 5, 2018
Picture Book
October 11, 2018
Awesome!
October 17, 2018
A young girl starts knitting animals that come to life but what happens when they get out of control? Preschool and up
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews