Picture Book Review – 30,000 Stitches by Amanda Davis

30,000 STITCHES:

THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG

Written by Amanda Davis

Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

(Worthy Kids; $17.99, Ages 5-8)

 

 

 

 

For those of us who are old enough, the story of 9/11 will never be forgotten. Horrible images are etched in our minds. But if we look hard enough, we will find beauty from the darkness of that day. 30,000 STITCHES documents some of those moments. It is THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG. 

SUMMARY

Author, Amanda Davis, takes us on a thoughtfully worded journey of kindness and healing. The first image of the flag, vibrant and whole, blows above the wreckage, displaying the strength of America. The fabric ages and the tattered flag is stored away in the shed of a home. Seven years later, another tragedy hits, this time a natural disaster in Greensburg, Kansas. 

Volunteers from New York bring the flag all the way to Kansas at the people’s request, a connection to those who suffered a loss. From fragments of flags that survived the tornado, the 9/11 flag is rebuilt, and its journey across the states begins. With each new piece, a new story is told and remembered, representing hope, kindness, love, and strength. 

FIRST IMPRESSION

Chills. And with every page turn—more chills! Illustrator, Sally Wern Comport, creates lush fabric-like spreads, stitching together frames and collaged images, layering colors and textures of the complicated yet beautiful stories. At the beginning of the book, her mixed-media illustrations present New York City in soft tones of gray and muted greens and yellow, contrasted with dark bold cutouts—firefighter figures.  

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The next page introduces the American flag in its familiar red, white, and blue. A few pages later, colorful images represent the uplifting message and diversity of the hands that stitched and mended the flag, and the hearts touched because of it.

 

CONCLUSION

The pictures and words of this book show humanity at its very best. 

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There is a flag that connects the kids of today to the historical moment of 9/11. It stands thirty feet wide and twenty feet tall, as big as my recommendation for this book.