Barefoot Books- LadyD: Fabulous Kids Book- The Fabrics of FairyTale

Fabrics Of Fairy Tale
Stories Spun from Far and Wide

This glorious and unusual collection brings together stories about many different fabrics, and features intricate, hand-sewn collage illustrations throughout. The book is a collection of seven folktales featuring different fabrics from all over the world including: Persian carpet weaving, fabrics of East Africa, silk, fabrics from the Pacific Islands, tapa cloth, flax, patchwork and quilting, and Indonesian batik. The origin and history of each fabric are introduced and then followed by a folktale with that fabric as a central theme. Illustrations are presented in a fabric collage style and portray textiles and motifs unique to the culture of each folktale. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

The weaving of words and the weaving of fabrics come together in this exceptional gift book, which combines the talents of professional storyteller Tanya Batt and textile artist Rachel Griffin. The history and passage around the world of each of the fabrics, from wool to batik, from flax to silk, is fascinatingly described, and the fabrics themselves then become the central characters of stories from areas as diverse as Scandinavia, Hawaii, Indonesia, and East Africa. Exquisite illustrations and compelling stories make The Fabrics of Fairytale a book that will appeal to fabric-lovers of all ages.
Recent Reviews
"Stories illustrated with fabrics typical of their region, with information about the textiles used in each tale - an ingenious cultural exploration for the whole family" - NAPRA ReView
"Elaborate fabric collages dress up this collection of stories gathered from around the world...An intriguing way to introduce lesser known folktales and the cultures from which they derive" - Publishers Weekly
'The Fabrics of Fairytale is an enchanting tapestry of stunning illustrations and wonderful tales from all over the world. Tanya Robyn Batt is one of the world's few professional fairies who travels the world telling stories. The incredible artwork is produced using fabrics, beads, sequins, maps and handmade papers, crafted by Rachel Griffin. These two women have created a book which will delight all ages' -The Green Parent
'Featuring intricate handmade collages throughout, this exquisite book combines textiles techniques and traditional tales from around the world. Each story collage is created using a different method (for example batik for the Indonesian story, patchwork for the Jewish story, silk brocade for the Chinese story) and the history of each fabric is fascinatingly described, ensuring the fabrics themselves are central to the tale. A great book' - Junior Focus
My favorite story is 'Clever Anaeet'! K-Gr 5--In this captivating collection, Batt skillfully weaves together folktales from around the world with fascinating information about the various materials that play an important role in the stories. For example, "Clever Anaeet," a tale from Armenia in which a clever king saves his own life by weaving a secret message into a rug, is introduced by background about carpet weaving in the Caucasus and Persia. A description of textiles from the Pacific Islands precedes a ...

Tanya Robyn Batt
http://www.bookcouncil.or.nz/writers/battanya.html
has a lifelong love of fabrics and is fascinated by the ways in which they can change the way we perceive the world and are seen by others. In this captivating collection, she brings together her favorite stories about fabrics from all over the world and shows how storytelling itself is a magical weaving process.
The history and passage around the world of each of the fabrics, from wool to batik, from flax to silk, is fascinatingly described, and the fabrics themselves then become the central characters of stories from areas as diverse as Scandinavia, Hawaii, Indonesia, and East Africa. Audio Length: 1 hour and 39 min. Have a listen:

http://www.audible.com/adbl/store/CJProduct.jsp?productID=BK_BARE_000002
Upon listening to some excerpts from the book, take a look at this great Google visual of the book's layout:

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=db_uh5b_-gcC&dq=Tanya+Robyn+Batt&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=bI09-lCLeg&sig=omfnNNWjM2dktm23KKTNDyOQF8A&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPP1,M1
What hope have you of ever finding a husband? Skeins of flax are the only dowry we can offer.
? The Three Fayes (Swedish)