Knots on a Counting Rope

This book is age-appropriate for primary students and classrooms.

A grandfather tells his grandson the story of how he was born, a story that he has heard many times before. He then goes onto tell many more stories, about his name, his horse, and the race. The grandfather ties another knot on the counting rope, and when the rope is full, the boy will know the story by heart and won't need it to be told anymore.

I would not recommend this books for use in the classroom, because it does not give an accurate depiction of Native Americans. It contains bits and pieces of different tribal traditions and experiences, and mixes them together into one story. This is not accurate or beneficial. It doesn't specify a tribe, which is generalizing a show more population group that has a lot of diversity and variation within it. show less

I think this book would be best for intermediate readers.

This story follows a grandfather who uses a counting rope to help his blind grandson understand time. They begin recounting the story of his birth and life so far, helping him to remember his identity and strength.

I think this book could be beneficial to have in a classroom for its representation of both Native American culture and blindness. It could be used for whole class reading or individual. This book does include some stereotypes and generalizations and does not tell the story of a specific culture or tribe.

I enjoyed this story for the fact that it is unlike one I’ve ever read before. The main character is a boy, my estimate about seven years old, who is visually impaired. The unique thing about this is that the reader does not know about his disability until the middle of the story. I appreciated that the author didn’t use the term blind. Martin simply dropped hints, for instance, saying that all the child could see was darkness. The illustration of the boy having black circles as eyes, with no pupils, could also infer his lack of sight. For this reason, readers can learn that visually impaired children can live the same lives as others. For example, the boy describes the sounds he hears and his internal reactions that in the end show more leave him with happiness. The author gives off a positive message at this point because a new life was born, a fawn, that the boy named and nurtured all himself. His grandfather supported him and encouraged him that he could train a horse, learn the trails, and ride in a race. All in which the boy did, with the support and love from his grandfather. The boy was recognized for riding the horse with ease and his named prevailed as Boy-Strength-Of-Blue-Horses. Even though he didn’t win the race, he was overwhelmed with joy and satisfaction.
I liked that the setting of the book took place “in the wild”. It gave insight to the Native American culture through the illustrations and activities that the characters did together, for example, riding on trails with wild horses. I like that it was relatable to students in the sense that the grandfather and child were sharing an old story and bonding. The reader could feel how eager the boy was to hear the story from his grandfather.
From the previous details, I think the overall big idea of the book is how significant and influential elders are in children’s lives. Another theme, in relation to the young boy, is that with courage, determination, and passion, an individual can have success.
The ending was particularly interesting. The author expressed that the grandfather knew he wasn’t going to be able to share the story with his grandson forever and will eventually pass on. This is unavoidable in life, and it is expressed in a positive way from the grandfathers’ last words in this story that even if he won’t be there physically, he will always be with his grandson. This can comfort readers and give them a positive outlook on the circumstance of losing their grandparents. show less

Intermediate,

A boy and grandfather sit and recount boy's birth, and life story. The boy asks questions and the grandpa clarifies. The Grandfather directs the boy to understand what blue is, and what it means. The grandfather tells the boy hard truths but uplifts him enough to bare it.

I really liked this book and it's depiction of culture and family. I would use this book to talk about metaphors and symbolism. As well as life experience, and culture. I would also use this to discuss the importance of conversation.

In this book a grandfather is telling his grandson the story of his birth. He uses traditional counting rope to help him recall the order of events. While this book does have Native American people displayed I would say that this is not the best book for diverse representation. It portrays Natives as stereotypes and is not very up to date. If someone where to read this in a classroom it would need to be followed by discussion.

This book was very heartwarming for a number of reasons including the writing style, the illustrations, and the way the book pushes readers. This story is a tale of a young boy in an Indian tribe finding his own confidence in his blindness. His grandfather often retells the story of the young boy's birth and growth which encourages the young boy. He uses a counting rope as a metaphor for time and the emerging confidence the boy has with each knot in the rope. The writing style of this book was very organized in the way that it flowed. The text was set up in a stanza form, appropriating the dialogue style of the grandfather telling the story. The illustrations were wonderful paintings that appropriated the mood of the story. The story show more was based around a campfire, so the illustrations were very dark, but they were also very enchanting and bright which matched the scenery of the overall Indian land. I liked how this book pushes readers to believe that they can do anything, no matter the exceptionality or obstacle. "I wasn't afraid, Grandfather. I could see through the dark every turn of the race." I believe the overall message of this story is finding confidence in yourself. show less

Knots on a Counting Rope was a favorite growing up, so I was excited to find a copy on clearance for $2.99 at Half-Price Books. The book tells the story of a blind boy and his grandfather, members of an unnamed Native American tribe that that context suggests is probably the Navajo Nation. The boy, Strength-of-Blue-Horses wants his grandfather to tell him the story of his birth. Each time he tells that story, the grandfather adds another knot to the counting rope, with the idea that once the rope is full of knots, the grandson will know the story well enough to tell it himself. An inspirational story of inter-generational relationships and one boy's will to flourish in spite of the odds.

For those who enjoy picture books with disabled show more protagonists, good illustrations, or quality storytelling. Highly recommended. show less