The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater...That Grandma Knit: A Heartwarming Picture Book About Family Love and a Truly Terrible Sweater Gift for Kids (Ages 4-8)

by Debbie Macomber, Mary Lou Carney, Vincent Nguyen (Illustrator)

Cameron loves his grandmother. She knows just what makes him tick. That's why he can't figure out why Grandma would send him a sweater—a truly terribly horrible sweater—for his birthday. Cameron pours mustard on his sweater. He puts it on his dog (in the rain). He even tries to send it to the thrift shop. But nothing works. Now Grandma is coming for the holidays, and Cameron has to wear her gift to him. But what's he going to say when she asks what he thinks about the sweater she made? With a sure hand and a light touch, worldwide bestseller Debbie Macomber and her new writing partner, Mary Lou Carney, reveal that what Grandma knit into Cameron's sweater is the greatest gift of all. Debbie and Mary Lou have included simple knitting instructions and an original knitting pattern for Cameron's sweater. You can find them at the back of this book.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Knitting, Family, Fiction, Christmas, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Reeds]

Dear Grandmothers everywhere,
Boys would prefer solid colors, in colors that their friends won't laugh at.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron's Grandma Susan knits him a sweater for his birthday, a truly terrible horrible sweater, and he won't wear it. But when she comes to visit for Christmas and explains all the love and memories that were knit into the sweater, he decides it's not so horrible after all. It's a sweet tale and really gets to the heart of a child who doesn't like a gift. Cameron comes across as a bit spoiled and ungrateful, but I suppose it's an accurate reflection of most children at that age. The knitting instructions at the back of the book are interesting, designed for an experienced knitter to help a beginner or to follow the design to make the sweater illustrated in the story.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book about a kid who gets an ugly sweater from his grandmother and he hates it and refuses to wear it until his grandmother comes for the holidays and explains the meaning of the sweater. Then the kid loves the sweater and starts wearing it.
I don't know how old this kid is, but I have a hard time believing that a kid is going to start wearing a sweater he hates just because his grandmother told him the meaning of it. I don't have kids so I could be wrong.

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope any of the knitted items I give to my grandson don't cause him to stress and try to get rid of them. I do really like this story though!

[Rachel Mong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about a boy, his Grandma, and a sweater. He spends the whole story hating his sweater, but grows to love it as he learns the story behind its creation.
This book is contemporary realistic fiction, as it is a fictional story that could have happened.
I would use this book to teach about the mentor trait of ideas. The story centers around the idea of a terrible sweater that Cameron will never, ever wear. For writing instruction, I would use the title of this book as a model of a title that is very interesting and makes a reader want to read more. Additionally, the story is a good example of developing the central idea in a way that was not expected.
This is a heartwarming story that will make every student think of and appreciate their grandparents. The book level is 3.6. I could not find the guided reading level for this book, but I would estimate that it is an S or T.

[Ashleigh Best · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was something that many children can relate to. Cameron, the main character in the story, received a birthday gift from his grandmother- a knitted sweater. However, Cameron did not like the sweater and tried to find numerous excuses not to wear it. Many of my students have felt this feeling before- I know I did. This book is great to read to young children because it describes feelings they often have. In the end, however, it teaches them to think about the gift differently and to be appreciative- which is a good trait for all to have.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron is looking forward to his birthday and a wonderful present from his grandmother. But when he opens it he finds a colorful, handknit sweater—and he can't stand it! He tries everything he can think of to get out of wearing the sweater. Until his grandmother comes to visit, and explains why she chose the various colors, and then he looks at the sweater in a different way. May it's not so terrible after all! A very cute story that children should enjoy, and maybe even relate to. Included is the sweater pattern, so grandma's (or other relatives) can make it for their loved one.

[Linda Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Special Gift

Cameron's grandmother knit a sweater for his birthday. He did not like it. When his grandmother came to visit he wears the sweater. A simple story about a special gift.

[Angela Geurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story

A delightful read that chronicles so much more than how to get rid of a truly terribly horrible birthday sweater, to something so special between a boy and his Grandma!

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Cameron loves his grandmother so much, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings by not wearing the sweater she knit him. This book follows this sweet bit as he avoids upsetting his grandmother.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute and heartwarming story. My grandchildren loved it!

[Lis Sigona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute children’s book written by Debbie Macomber with a lesson to learn/gain. Great insight for children to learn from.

[Bonnie Ferrante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cameron is very excited to receive a birthday gift from his grandmother. She always gives him the best gifts, but this time he is deeply disappointed. Inside the box is a handknit sweater striped with green, blue, orange, and yellow. Cameron is mortified and vows to never ever wear it, especially in front of his friends. He tries a series of tricks to get rid of the sweater, but doesn’t succeed.

His mother says, “Grandma Susan would have been heartbroken if anything happened to this sweater.” Finally, Cameron begins to think about his grandmother’s feelings, but not enough to wearthe sweater. When grandma comes to visit, Cameron’s mother insists that he put on the sweater.

Grandma explains the significance of each color. Green represents Cameron’s excellent soccer skills, blue represents his success at learning to ride a two wheeled bike, orange represents his favorite fruit, yellow represents how happy his birth made the family, and red represents how he is always in his grandmother’s heart. Cameron’s attitude toward the sweater changes. He vows to wear it for a very long time.

Every child has received a gift that was disappointing. This book will remind them that the thought behind the gift is more important than the present itself. It also stresses the special link between grandmothers and their grandchildren and how different generations show their love in different ways. The story will encourage living life with a sense of gratitude, one of the most important keys to happiness.

Vincent Nguyen uses branch double spread pictures to illustrate the story. That this is a happy, loving family is apparent from the expressions of the characters.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater That Grandma Knit by Debbie Macomber and Mary Lou Carney was a good read. This story is about a boy named Cameron whose birthday was fast approaching. At the breakfast table on the day of his birthday he ripped open his present from his grandmother and felt let down. He thought that it was such a horrible sweater that he tried every trick in the book to not wear it. Then one day his grandmother came to town and she told him the meaning behind making him that sweater. From then on he thought it was a fantastic gift from a fantastic grandmother.

This story started off by making me feel so upset that he did not appreciate a gift that was given to him on his birthday, especially by his grandmother. Then when she came to town and he learned the meaning behind gifts I felt a happiness that he could look beyond the look of the sweater and continually see the meaning behind it every time he wore it. This is a lesson that I like to teach the kids I nanny for. They should be grateful for everything they get in life and should always be thankful for handmade gifts as those are the best ones.

The writers did a great job and I recommend it to children ages 4-7.

[Candis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This five star rating does not come from me (I would give it a 4), but from my just-turned 4-year-old son who received this for his birthday. He has requested this EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. since that day, and he shows absolutely no sign of tiring of it. What makes this book special (in addition to the knitting pattern to make the truly terribly horrible sweater yourself at home) is the way that the multiple relationships that Cameron has - with his immediate family, his friends, his 'stuff' and, of course, his grandmother - play themselves out via his new stripey cardigan, and the ways he comes to learn empathy as the story unravels. The writing is so strong that my little guy is riveted during each read, and the story really does address the complexities of relationships in a layered manner. Not just a simple yarn for the kids!

[Dewey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a knitter, I wasn't 100% thrilled with this book just because I feel like if you're going to knit something for a person as a gift you should know your audience, and clearly a little boy isn't going to be like "omg, a tacky striped sweater, how special!" So it kind of irked me that everyone expected him to appreciate it, rather than the grandma just knitting him something that he would like.

Moving past my knitter issues, I thought the story ultimately was very sweet, and I kind of love that there are some basic knitting instructions at the end for kiddos who want to try it out. I would maaaaaybe read this for a preschool storytime, although it is a little bit long.

[Carol Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

t was a sweet little story that we both enjoyed. I think kids could definitely relate to getting a present that hate but have to pretend to like. It also shows how special a handmade gift can be, but the most important message was how much Cameron’s grandma loved him, even though she lived far away.

The illustrations were pretty and kind of soft. They weren’t outstanding, but I did like the picture of Grandma arriving at the train station.

[Cat Fithian · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the boy hates the sweater his grandmother made for him . . . tries to destroy it . . . until grandma comes to visit and explains how she picked all the colors and thought of him while knitting it for him. It's sweet in the end because the boy changes his perspective about the sweater. Still, it seems like a guilt manipulation to make kids appreciate gifts that they don't like. I'm luke-warm about this one.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron loves his grandmother. For his birthday she sent him a hand knitted sweater, which he didn't like, and tried his best to get rid of the terribly horrible sweater. But nothing he did worked. During his grandmother's Christmas visit , he had no choice but to wear it, so as not to hurt her feelings. When his grandmother shared with Cameron the back story of his sweater, it didn't seem such a terribly horrible sweater.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several Debbie Macomber books and when I saw this I wanted to read it. I just read to my kids and I loved it! I thought it was an adorable book and showed the value of a Grandma even if she made you a truly terribly horrible sweater that you later love and value. I think I may have to buy this book for my mom.

[Amanda BeReckonedwith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of this fuzzy style of illustration. And if I don't like a picture book's illustrations it's lost more than half the battle. Not a bad story, in which a boy learns the value of a handmade gift, but, for a picture book, a strange combination of simple story and excessive wordiness.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story about the love of family. Children can make connections throughout this story through memories of their families and previous birthdays. They can also make predictions about what they think the book will be about, and what will happen through the story.

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the Debbie Macomber Blossom Street books, this is a cute tie in. The lessons learned from handmade gifts is good - it helps you realize the time & effort that goes into a project.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a crochers so I know the time and energy it take to make something. I am sure knitting is the same premise.

When I was a kid, my grandma crocheted a pink sweater. I hated it! I wore it once. But I still have it, because it is precious to me even though I don't love it!

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love Debbie Macomber but way way way too wordy for a picture book

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story with a nice ending. Who can't relate to getting a piece of clothing you hate, but have to wear to please the giver?

[Joenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron hates the sweater that his grandmother knit for his birthday, until she visits and tells him the special meaning behind its design. Includes instructions for knitting a similar sweater.

[Kim Stroberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great character lesson!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good story for kids. I really liked the pictures in the book too.

[Niza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only a child and a grandma will really appreciate this great read. Share with someone you love.