Tuesday, January 1, 2013

"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.

20 comments:

  1. I don't have anything made from silk.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to own a silk blouse but Im not sure what happened to it...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't have anything made of real silk.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a silk shawl that I use as a table runner.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I dont think I have anything.
    sunniewoodyplus2 atmsn.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't have anything made from silk.
    paulajomyers@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have a blouse or two made of silk. I save them for special occasions.

    april yedinak

    ReplyDelete
  8. I used to own a silk shirt but not anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a silk scarf. cwitherstine at zoominternet dot net

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have a couple of silk cami's and a silk scarf (that never gets worn but was a lovely gift)

    ReplyDelete
  11. i havea scarf and a blouse... both were gifts!

    ReplyDelete
  12. my bed cover is real silk. Its beautiful and has been a wonderful addition to our bedroom.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't have anything made of real silk

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment here at Chat With Vera. If you need to contact me directly, please use the "Comment Me" email associated with this blog and posted in the sidebar.