The Cute Book
Adult/High School—This quirky little craft book has a "Hello Kitty" feel; it's a how-to manual for creating small felt mascots that induce smiles but apparently have no serious purpose. There is an illustrated table of contents, and the book includes patterns and instructions for making 19 different creatures. There are also instructions for making a kidnapper, a bad guy, a liar, and an alien. Narrators White Rabbit and Brown Bunny, two of the felt mascots, assure readers that "you can do this…it's fun and easy." The book assumes no knowledge of or previous experience with handicrafts and opens with an illustrated spread listing basic supplies and explaining techniques. Each pattern is introduced with an amusing thumbnail biography of the mascot, and encouraging words to readers. The tone is light and goofy, but the instructions are clear, with numbered diagrams and photographs of finished work. The book concludes with appliqué techniques and photographs of suggested uses for and misuses of the mascots (e.g., use as a bookmark is not recommended as it looks painful). This book will appeal to young teens interested in crafting and could also be used in a library craft program.—Sondra VanderPloeg, Tracy Memorial Library, New London, NHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.