Friday, 25 September 2026

The Tale That Time Sews by Sita Brahmachari & Jane Ray - #bookreview


This is the thread that travels the Earth, that Time sews...

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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

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The Blurb

While a young girl awaits the arrival of a new sibling, her Nana works on a special story quilt. As she sews, mends, and adds new patches, Nana shares the story of her own journey - of fleeing her homeland, finding love in a new country, and stitching together a new beginning from fragile threads.

With every new and restored patch, the girl begins to understand her place in the world. Patterns burst with stories, threads shimmer with spirits passed and new patches wait to be brought to life. Each careful mend and every stitch carries the hope of what's to come.

Now, as a new life enters the world, Nana's quilt wraps around her grandchildren in the warmth of the past and the promise of what's to come.


My Review

This delightful picture book tells the story of time through a continual needle and thread. 

In fact, as we turn the pages we follow the thread through the life of a young girl as she waits for the birth of her new sibling. We meet her family and friends as we watch her grandmother sewing a quilt, weaving the past and present into every stitch.

It has been beautifully illustrated with the thread and the grandmother working on the quilt as constants throughout the book. We see the grandmother sharing photos and stories of the family's past, their fleeing their country in search of peace.

The illustrations add so much more to what is written in the text. They are delightfully done and encapsulate the story of this family through the three generations in the book.

It is a lovely story which is inclusive and diverse. It is a beautiful book for sharing and I could imagine it being one that a child returns to regularly. There is something very special within its pages and I highly recommend it.


Book Details

ISBN: 978 1800789654

Publisher: Templar Books

Formats: hardback

No. of Pages: 32


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK


About the Author

Sita is a multi-award-winning writer of novels, plays, novellas and short stories. She is the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Award for Artichoke Hearts, and has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal five times. Sita has been an Amnesty International Ambassador and speaks in schools, at festivals and conferences. In 2018 Tender Earth received the UK Honour from the International Board of Books for Young People. 

Sita is based in London. She is a former Writer in Residence for BookTrust and Writer in Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.

You can also find Sita at:

Author Website

Instagram


About the Illustrator

Jane is a London-born artist and illustrator. She has illustrated over 60 children's books, and her work has been widely recognised, earning nominations for prestigious awards like the Hans Christian Andersen Award (2018) and the Kate Greenaway Medal. Jane continues to exhibit her art regularly at galleries such as Primavera in Cambridge and Watermark Gallery. She works with Sita as the Artist in Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.

You can also find Jane at:

Author Website 

Instagram





(book and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

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