A KNOT IS NOT A TANGLE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Written by Daniel Nayeri
Illustrated by Vesper Stamper
(Knopf, Fall 2025)

FOUR starred reviews! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kirkus, PW, SLJ, Booklist

Knots are necessary and imperfection is a gift in this poignant picture book about an Iranian boy learning to make a new family rug with his grandmother, from an award-winning duo.

Here’s something to remember: Even a rug can be a precious thing. One morning, a young boy is woken up early by his grandmother. It’s time to make a new rug for the family. Together, they wash and dye the wool. When it’s time to knot the threads, the young boy grows nervous. He wants to make it perfect. But why aren’t the colors right? And why can’t he weave as swiftly as his grandmother? In this lyrical picture book about imperfection, tradition, and togetherness, A Knot is Not a Tangle explores the memories woven into one family’s Persian rug, and is a gentle reminder of imperfection’s greatest gifts.

What Reviewers are Saying

⭐️ “Stamper’s mottled and muted illustrations reinforce the message while adding a sense of time and place. Recurring objects like the samovar, plants, and patterns show purposeful utility and reflect the family’s interconnectedness to land and living culture. A tender celebration of tradition, family bonds, and the beauty of imperfection.” —Kirkus, starred review

⭐️ “Stamper’s softly textured watercolor artwork brings a bright, tactile beauty to the work (and many other details), rendering rugs on the page that look soft enough to sit on. One spread where the boy and his grandmother design their rug on graph paper is sure to inspire arts and crafts projects at home or in the classroom.” —Booklist, starred review

⭐️ “Greens, pinks, reds, and teals dominate intensely hued watercolors from Stamper (The Greatest), which place the family in a pastoral landscape.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

⭐️ “Stamper’s delightfully detailed illustrations convey all of that plus the love and satisfaction of creating art for a purpose. She adds a dash of whimsy with the boy’s toy sheep that can be found on most of the pages. An author’s note offers additional information on weaving Persian rugs and the story’s true lesson.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Rife with facts about plant dyes and parts of rugs, this story walks readers through the creation of a traditional Persian rug from beginning to end while also reminding them that the creative journey, the memories, and the use of the rug are more important than the beauty, a lesson that kids can expand on and apply to plenty of different situations, artistically and otherwise. Both the family’s quiet and loving interactions and Stamper’s flowing, pastel-colored watercolor spreads (which utilize motifs and framing techniques from Persian rugs) make this a lovely storytime pick with plenty of room for discussion.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

“Depictions of Persian rugs are central to the soft-hued watercolor illustrations: a colorful, intricately designed rug is shown in use on the floor, while the new rug is shown on the loom, contrasting the beauty and usefulness of the finished product with the painstaking method of creating it.” —The Horn Book