Emma's Rug

by Allen Say

Through gorgeous illustrations and heartwarming words, children and adults will find inspiration in Emma's ability to find creativity within herself.

Emma is a gifted young artist whose most prized possession is a small, shaggy rug. When her mother accidentally puts the rug in the washing machine and destroys it, Emma is devastated and ceases her art. But she soon comes to find that creativity comes from within, not from an object.

A perfect gift for any young artist in your life.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Art, Realistic Fiction, Cultural, Fiction, Asian American

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Allen Say is one of the most beloved artists working today. He is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, and also won a Caldecott Honor and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for THE BOY OF THE THREE-YEAR NAP (written by Dianne Snyder). Many of Allen’s stories are derived from his own experiences as a child. His other books include THE BICYCLE MAN, TEA WITH MILK, and TREE OF CRANES, hailed by The Horn Book in a starred review as “the achievement of a master in his prime.” Allen’s recent book, ERIKA-SAN, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd story. Young Emma is a gifted artist who takes her inspiration from the objects she "sees" in a plain white rug. What happens when her mother washes the rug, and she can no longer "see" things in it? I love Allen Say's illustrations, of course. I'd love to know if this is based upon a real child he knows or has heard of. If the story doesn't appeal, read it for the illustrations.

[حسناء · Rating 3 out of 5]

some small things can have great values for their owners , like an old pen or a stuffed animal , or even a RUG . you can never tell where the inspiration comes from .

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely, just gorgeous. I especially like the second to last one when Emma goes outside and becomes part of the foliage.

This is a wonderful story, with a somewhat too abrupt ending I thought, but it works okay enough. Emma is a gifted artist from a young age, and it’s interesting to see how she attributes her talent and abilities and how she discovers the truth.

This is a great book for any child as they can see another child discover what’s within her.

I see that this illustrator/author has done much other work and I’m very eager to check out his other books.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

small things can have great values for their owners and this rug was everything to Emma until she realized she could find inspiration within.

(sidenote: had to internalize for a lesson at work)

[Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma's Rug by Allen Say

This was a very cute book. It's starts off by telling about a rug that was given to Emma for her nursery. Once Emma was grown enough to walk around the rug became like her favorite toy/blankie. Instead of her playing with it, she would just look into it. It became Emma's muse and she would start to creative paintings of the things she would see in her rug. One day her mom washed her rug and Emma's muse lost its touch, so she thought. She then discovered that she really didn't need the rug for her imagination to come out, and she had her artistic talent back. This book was very curious, and I love how Emma had such an imagination, but she was so quiet and very mysterious. The age range for this book is 6-9, but I feel that some words in this book such as tapir and pangolin are a little too advanced for some kids. I read this book to my nephew and he didn't know what those words even meant and to be honest I didn't either. I had to look them up in order to explain it. Over all though it was a very cute book.

[Ashley B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a talented young girl who loves to draw and paint. She would draw and paint everyday at school and she was rewarded for her talents by winning trophies and ribbons for her works. When she was asked where her inspiration came from she said she just copies what she sees. She would look at a rug she got when she was just a little girl for hours and that is where she got her ideas for her pictures. She was distraught when her mother washed her rug, but Emma soon realized there is inspiration all over. Emma just needed to look around and see the faces in the clouds and the animals in the bushes. She continued to do what she loved.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma’s Rug, written and illustrated by Allen Say, resonated with me as a portrayal of someone with different abilities than my own; by the end of the story I thought Emma might be on the autism spectrum.

The story describes the daughter of a mother and father who develops an attachment and reverence for a rug she was gifted as a baby. While it is present in her life, she quietly develops her own artistic expression that is publicly recognized and rewarded. When the essence of the rug changes, she ceases to create, she withdraws, and she discards the evidence of her life when the rug existed.

Something switches for her at this point; like a phoenix rising from the ashes of her loss, she blossoms into a new art period that draws inspiration from the creatures she envisions from the nature around her. We do not know that she is any less autistic, but she has connected with new ideas afresh.

In a respect, this could offer a mirror to an autistic child, but autism runs a spectrum, and no two children will exhibit it in the same way. At the same time, it is important that we acknowledge that differences are normal, and Say does this in telling Emma’s story--she is a child, she is a student, she makes art, she is rewarded for an accomplishment, and she chooses her direction in life (in this case, artistic expression). She may look at the world differently than I do, but she has her own reasons (her rug) just as my life experiences shape my worldview.

This book belongs in a diverse collection of children’s literature for its inclusion of an autistic child who happens to be Asian.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma is a bit of a precocious child who develops artistic abilities at a very early age all with the help and inspiration of a....rug. Yes that is correct. When Emma was just a baby, she was gifted a rug which Emma became infatuated with and used as her muse or "artistic inspiration" for her paintings/drawings. Her ability earned her stardom and everyone around her, including the mayor, were impressed with her skills.
One day, Mom decides that the rug needed to be washed and when Emma discovers what her mother did, she loses all of her creativity and inspiration along with it.
That's exactly what this story is...an example of artistic inspiration and how it's different for all artists. Eventually, Emma rediscovers her A.I. when she glances out her window and it all comes back to her.
On one hand, she seems like a creepy little child who stares at a rug and rarely speaks...but what I think Mr. Say is trying to convey is the perspective of a child's creative process and the influence it has on an artist.
As always, this story contains all of Mr. Say's charm and beautiful art.

[Nanell Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

- This book speaks on creativity and ways we find inspiration. Emma, the little girl in this story, has a little rug that she has had since a baby. She believes this rug is the reason she is into drawing. She wins all types of medals and prizes for these drawings from kindergarten up to first grade. Emma is gifted nonetheless, but she is heartbroken to find out that her mother washed her favorite rug, and its now ruin. The rug meant everything to her and she no longer wanted to draw. Over time she realized that she didn’t need the rug, she had all the inspiration she needed inside her. The illustrations are done neatly and gives insight on the text. I liked the message behind the book and I feel it can be a good book to read to your students. I’m not a fan of the ending but I get the reason behind it somewhat.

[Tawheeda Rufah Nilima]

I haven't understood the connection between Emma and her rug. Yeah, I get that Emma is emotionally attached to her rug. But how can she manage to see things on the rug and then draw? I mean from the story what I understand is that she gets her painting inspiration from her rug, because one day when she comes from school and finds out that her mother has washed the rug, then she can't paint anymore. Then again one day she suddenly starts seeing those things and starts painting. I think it's something that Emma imagines or maybe it's a child psychological thing.

The illustrations are beautiful as always and the usual charm of Allen Say's writing is there in the book. But I think the ending is quite sudden. Because things are not clear here.

[RLL2202017_Roxanna Jasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story talks about a little, girl, her favorite rug since birth, and the discovery of her talent; painting. Throughout the story, the rug remains the same since her birth and Emma later kept it hidden in her bottom drawer. She continues her talent which later she gets recognize so much, the Mayor asked for her to be taken to the Museum of Art. During that visit, her mother finds her rug and washes it, in result, Emma is devastated and doesn't paint and draw no more. Until the end, she starts to draw again because she is reconnected to an unseen presence she thought she had lost. This story is short and simple and I would recommend it for grade levels 1st and up.

[Gerri Poling Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful insight into creativity and self empowerment. Great depth in a straightforward story. Inspiring to anyone you might share it with.

For books that also foster creativity and confidence in valuing and developing one's own voice:

and

and

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! A great one for all ages. Allen Say gently leads readers to contemplate where exactly inspiration comes from in this sweet but surprisingly complex story. Finding its real meaning may challenge young readers, but the beautiful and intentional illustrations and careful wording at the end will lead you right eventually.

[Haley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book included amazing illustrations. The story was interesting and the ending makes readers think. I would read this to a fourth or fifth grade class because it does require higher level thinking.

[Jasmine Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a useful tool in the classroom because many students could relate to. Many students will have a keepsake that they will need to function just like Emma needed her rug. It also teaches students to find inspiration and comfort in other things too.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story disguised as a child's picture book. Where does inspiration come from? In this one, we don't know for sure until the object of inspiration is essentially destroyed. And then inspiration reappears from elsewhere. A little weird, a little cool. 3.5 of 5

[Adoria Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about an art prodigy who gets her inspiration from a very unusual place. I would use this book with a creative activity to try and encourage students to think outside the box.

[Tom M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fine book about a young child's first muse and her ability to find her next one.

[Amanda Walz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the thinking that goes along with this story. How the reader/listener has to puzzle out what is really going on. The ending is perfect for the story.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one felt super literary, like I needed to dissect it when I finished.

[Sidney McQuade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a sweet story of a little girl with an incredible talent of painting and a very vivid imagination. The story is all Japanese people, making it multicultural.

[Audrey Widjaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

When reading this, i recall having my own unwashed bolster case and love it so much. :)

[Ruqayah]

I don't like this app because I can't rad a book!!! (ANGRY)

[Krissy J.]

DAS--no

[Alex Logedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

these illustrations are chef’s kiss

[Mandi Simmons]

1st grade Artist Emma’s prized possession is her gifted rug. When it gets ruined, she stops wanting to draw, paint, etc. Realizing that creativity comes within.

[Sierra Burrous · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book, about a little girl who takes inspiration for her art from a rug gifted to her when she was a baby. A cute read for parents, or teachers to students!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story Emma and the rug that inspires her art.

[Katie Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky and atmospheric.

[Sarah Uren · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an artist or have loved one, this is a mainstay on a picture book shelf.