The golden-haired, white protagonist of this quiet story loves her grandmother’s sewing studio. She loves to help choose fabric for Grandma’s projects, as well as a good, strong thread to sew it all together. More than that, though, she just loves Grandma. Soon the girl will be moving to a place far away, “where the lakes freeze in winter,” and she’s worried about the distance. To be safe, she draws Grandma a map to her new home, so that Grandma will be able to visit. Then, with a few scraps of fabric and three mismatched buttons, she sews a lopsided airplane for Grandma, too. Grandma senses the girl’s worry and reassures her. The two of them “are connected by the longest, strongest thread in the whole world. I love Grandma, and Grandma loves me.” It will be hard to say good-bye, but distance—even very great distance—cannot break the thread of love. And “when winter comes, and the lakes freeze,” Grandma will use her hand-drawn map to find her way to her grandchild. A limited color palette (blues and golds) visually connects child and grandmother, while the narrative offers gentle reassurance without downplaying the girl’s sadness and worry.     (Ages 3-6)

Fans of the Invisible String will love this story about a grandmother and granddaughter who must find different ways to stay connected even when they are far apart.

A little girl is moving far away from Grandma. Neither wants to say goodbye. But when Grandma brings the girl into her sewing room, she shows her that they have the longest, strongest thread in the whole world to keep them connected. Full of hope and heart, this book reminds kids that family connections transcend physical separation, no matter how far apart we are.