"The Story of Silk: From Worm Spit to Woven Scarves" by Richard Sobol (Review & Giveaway)

ISBN:  9780763641658
Hardback $17.99

About the book:  Join author and photographer Richard Sobol as he picks up his camera once more and travels to a small village in Thailand for an in-depth exploration of the story of silk and the labor-intensive process of making it. From nurturing the silkworms to weaving the fabric and photographing the children as they proudly model the finished product, this first-person narrative, illustrated with richly detailed photographs, chronicles the amazing process of creating one of history’s most desired textiles. 

What does worm spit have to do with the world’s most luxurious fabric? Travel to Thailand for a close-up look at wrigglers, weavers, and wearers of silk.

My thoughts: Author/photographer Richard Sobol has written an interesting book for the young reader of non-fiction about how silk is made. His photographs give us a glimpse into life in Thailand and the village life of Thais who are involved in the making of silk - from the youngest to the oldest.

This is not a picture book for story-telling purposes. It is not "entertainment" and should not be viewed as such. This is a book to learn about another part of the world (if you are not from Thailand), and to learn a little about the process of silk production.

It is enlightening to learn that it takes about 5,000 silk worms to create one silk dress and that these must be boiled (alive) to unravel the silk prior to weaving. The involvement of the very young child in nurturing the silk worms and tending them is interesting and shows that in Thai culture the young must work so all may eat.

This book will be a good addition to a classroom or school library for the children to read to learn about silk production or life in another part of the world. It could potentially launch wonderful classroom discussions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Just enter via the Rafflecopter links below.  (Please be patient as Rafflecopter is sometimes a bit slow to load.) This giveaway only open to USA addresses. Begins Jan. 1, 2013 - ENDS January 15 at 12:01 a.m. EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of The Story of Silk from Candlewick Press to facilitate a review with my honest opinions. I received no compensation for this review and was not required to give positive remarks.