A Knot Is Not a Tangle

By Daniel Nayeri

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.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059380970X
• ISBN13: 9780593809709
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3