A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 13

Dynamic Duo: Book 1

Picture Book: The Quiltmaker’s Journey

Author: Jim Brumbeau

Illustrator: Gail de Marcken

Summary: This is the origin story for the quiltmaker in the popular book The Quiltmaker’s Gift (featured tomorrow). The beauty of this book rivals the first and explains how an overly-protected child of royalty escapes her walled city and learns the truth about the many who have been forsaken by her family. She feels deceived and betrayed by the privileged ones who have raised her. After interacting with those who suffer beyond the wall, this young girl follows a generous calling. Her creative spirit puts to use the sewing skills and determination she learned behind the castle walls. She begins creating and offering the stunning quilts that begin her legacy. 

Hanna’s Comments: This book is part of a PBT Dynamic Duo. It's a prequel, published after the success of The Quiltmaker’s Gift. Like its predecessor, it is visually stunning and offers potential for rich lessons on yearning for and discovering truth, using your talents, and finding how your passion can serve others. The illustrations offer a variety of beautiful block quilt patterns with names and pictures that connect with the story. In the next book, the quiltmaker is much older and renowned throughout the land for her generosity and determination to give a quilt only to those who need one. 

Publisher & Date of Publication: Orchard Books, 2005

Age and Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up

# of Pages: 56

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Post 2 K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: bravery/courage, call/calling/vocation, change, comfort, commitment, community, consumerism/consumption/riches, conversion, the environment/nature, fruit/fruit of the spirit, generosity/giving/offering/stewardship, gifts/giftedness/talents, greed/selfishness, growing up/growth, helping, hiding/isolation/separation/walls, exclusion/inclusion, individuality/uniqueness, journeys/pilgrimages/migration/quests, justice, labor/work, love, mission, outreach, outsiders, passion, poverty, resurrection, servanthood/service/serving, sharing, transformation, works vs. faith or grace

Scripture Connections: Do justice (Micah 6:8); to the least of these... (Matthew 25), Dorcas/Tabitha’s good works (Acts 9:36)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a quilting circle or a group that has any sort of handwork ministry. Children in your faith family will enjoy this book too for it relays to them a coming-of-age story that aligns with passion, artistry, and biblical principles.