Knot Cannot

Illustrated by Mike Lowery
$7.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Dial Books
On sale Apr 07, 2020 | 9781984815903
Age 4-8 years
Reading Level: Lexile AD270L | Fountas & Pinnell L
Sales rights: World
A pun-packed look at friendship, jealousy, and being yourself

Knot is a piece of rope who longs to do the same things as Snake. Snake can slither and swim and hiss. Sadly, Knot cannot! But when Snake finds herself in a pickle, Knot discovers there's one thing he can do that Snake cannot. Knot can knot--a lot!

With wordplay a-plenty, this uproarious read-a-loud encourages readers to find--and celebrate!--whatever it is they do best.
  • HONOR | 2021
    Gryphon Award Honor Book
2021 Gryphon Honor Book

"Goofy, diagrammatic cartooning plays along, with lots of comically emphatic hand-drawn annotations and commentary (“TOO WIDE HA HA!” reads a key note that leads up to the rescue). In the talented, sublimely silly hands of Stone (Tallulah Plays the Tuba) and Lowery (the Kid Spy series), the question 'What do I have to offer the world?' seems far less knotty." —Publishers Weekly

"The high color contrast design and goofy, thickly lined figures make for easy viewing . . .  The true value, however, is in the playful literacy lesson, with the repetition of the 'ot' sound giving the book a helpful rhyming foundation for beginning readers, while other words provide a sophistication that will test more savvy readers’ skills." —BCCB

"A deliciously relentless barrage of punnery and other wordplay." —Booklist

"With its repetition, consonance, and homophones, this tale is a fun way for students to build word comprehension . . . This humorous read-aloud will help young readers untangle some tricky vocabulary words and teach them valuable lessons about finding confidence in one’s abilities." —School Library Journal

About

A pun-packed look at friendship, jealousy, and being yourself

Knot is a piece of rope who longs to do the same things as Snake. Snake can slither and swim and hiss. Sadly, Knot cannot! But when Snake finds herself in a pickle, Knot discovers there's one thing he can do that Snake cannot. Knot can knot--a lot!

With wordplay a-plenty, this uproarious read-a-loud encourages readers to find--and celebrate!--whatever it is they do best.

Awards

  • HONOR | 2021
    Gryphon Award Honor Book

Praise

2021 Gryphon Honor Book

"Goofy, diagrammatic cartooning plays along, with lots of comically emphatic hand-drawn annotations and commentary (“TOO WIDE HA HA!” reads a key note that leads up to the rescue). In the talented, sublimely silly hands of Stone (Tallulah Plays the Tuba) and Lowery (the Kid Spy series), the question 'What do I have to offer the world?' seems far less knotty." —Publishers Weekly

"The high color contrast design and goofy, thickly lined figures make for easy viewing . . .  The true value, however, is in the playful literacy lesson, with the repetition of the 'ot' sound giving the book a helpful rhyming foundation for beginning readers, while other words provide a sophistication that will test more savvy readers’ skills." —BCCB

"A deliciously relentless barrage of punnery and other wordplay." —Booklist

"With its repetition, consonance, and homophones, this tale is a fun way for students to build word comprehension . . . This humorous read-aloud will help young readers untangle some tricky vocabulary words and teach them valuable lessons about finding confidence in one’s abilities." —School Library Journal