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The Pen That Pa Built

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In this warm display of old-fashioned know-how and family spirit, a blanket is made from scratch--from the shearing to the carding, spinning, dyeing, and weaving. And it all starts in the pen that Pa built.

Told through Ashley Wolff's vibrant artwork, this illustrated history of 1830s North America celebrates the lost art of creating a cherished, homemade object. Author's note provides further historical and natural science Best Children's Books of the Year 2008, by the Children's Book Committee for Bank Street College of Education

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

4 people want to read

About the author

David Edwards

258 books54 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Stacy.
675 reviews11 followers
October 27, 2020
I love this educational and entertaining book. My 6 year old son asked me how a blanket was made and this book was the perfect answer! So if you have a child who has an I inquisitive mind like I do, they will love the pictures in this book that explain how they made blankets in the 19th century. The words are limited and they are rhyming so I would say the pictures were the best part! There is also an authors note in the back of the book which goes into more detail about this process from the 19th century - very interesting and well done especially if you are also reading to an older child or a younger child with a longer attention span. Wonderful book!
Profile Image for Kira Dickson.
66 reviews
February 27, 2018
Copyright: Unknown
Number of Pages: Unknown
Book Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: PreK-3
Genre: Pattern Book
Lit Requirement: Pattern #1

Summary:
The book is goes into how a pen that their father built was made into a blanket for a baby. After a new page a new part is added and the previous added content is repeated. It takes place in the past when farmers had to make their own yarn from wool.

Response:
I liked this book because of the pictures and how they repeated the content. The content that is repeated again is shorten and rhyme together. This is a good book to read if you want a child to read a pattern book. I would recommend it.
56 reviews
November 15, 2019
Super cute book... spin off from this is the house that jack built. The pictures are beautiful. I like how it explains the whole process of making a blanket.
Profile Image for Tim Snell.
70 reviews
October 9, 2009
Genre: Informative
Copyright: 2007

"The Pen that Pa Built" is a story about a rural family, and the work that it takes to make a product out of wool. The story is written in the same vein as "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" where they progress step by step and repeat the process. The illustrations were nice, and I actually learned a lot about how wool products are created. The last page of the book gives some background information about how wool is processed into different colored fabrics.
Profile Image for Jean.
512 reviews5 followers
March 28, 2008
This beautifully illustrated book plays on The House That Jack Built, but with a twist. The Pen That Pa Built was for sheep. And the sheep give wool. Each spread shows a little more detail in the process of turning the sheep's wool into a blanket. The illustrations depict an 1800's farm. This will be good for classroom use, but families will enjoy it as well.
32 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2011
This is a story about how a blanket was made back in the old days. It goes through each step and tells the importance of everything involved in the making of the blanket. The pictures are really cute and as well as the story.
Profile Image for Renee.
199 reviews45 followers
November 8, 2008
Ah.. made me want to have a farm, be a pioneer, have another baby, spin my own wool, weave a blanket... A bit too idealistic of course but oh so lovely.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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