Leave Me Alone! – Book Review

The perfect book for people who love knitting, goats, and escape routes through wormholes.

Title: Leave Me Alone!
Author and Illustrator: Vera Brosgol
Rating: 10
Readability: 10
Source: Raincoast Books for review

Description from Goodreads:

One day, a grandmother shouts, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” and leaves her tiny home and her very big family to journey to the moon and beyond to find peace and quiet to finish her knitting. Along the way, she encounters ravenous bears, obnoxious goats, and even hordes of aliens! But nothing stops grandma from accomplishing her goal–knitting sweaters for her many grandchildren to keep them warm and toasty for the coming winter.

What I Thought:

What a cozy and stellar book!

The story is super fun to read, and the text is pithy and totally hilarious. What seems like a classic Strega Nona-type story takes some completely unexpected twists and turns. I actually loved that the Grandmother was cranky at her family, since I think it’s good for kids to know that the grownups in their lives (and books) are human, too! Sometimes we just need some time to ourselves!

The illustrations are adorable and just a little bit kooky – the perfect mix. The faces on each character are so unique and expressive that it feels like you actually get to know the entire cast.

Leave Me Alone is one of those mythical unicorns of a book that appeal equally to both parents and children. My daughter and I both loved its humour, wit, and style. I actually laughed out loud when the Grandmother was at the end of rope, both literally and figuratively.

This book would not only be great for kids (since the story is hilarious) but would also be a great gift for the frustrated knitters in your life! (We all know one…)

What Evelyn (4) Thought:

I liked when she yelled, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” so that she could do her knitting. And I liked when she made the sweaters in the dark place when she was all alone. I liked when it said she had a big family when she was sitting in the chair and looked stressed. It was super funny when the girl shoved the yarn in her brother’s mouth! Why was winter coming?

Extras:

Here is Vera Brosgol’s website FAQ section.

And here is a super cute page from the book:

TL;DR:

An old fashioned folktale for the modern age.