Threads (National Film Board of Canada Collection)

Adapted from an eight-minute National Film Board animated short of the same name, Threads was originally meant to be an adoption story. Told in the first person, effectively adding to the emotion, Threads is a moving and touching story of a woman who chooses a thread among several others dangling from the sky. The thread whisks her away on an adventure as she flies across the city and the countryside. When the thread finally lets her down, the woman finds an infant girl at the other end of it. She cares for this child as her own, and, as the girl grows up, the thread that mother and daughter share is pulled and stretched over the child’s learning and mastery of skills and new experiences until, finally, the daughter is old enough to live on her own. The measure of the mother’s success in raising her daughter is that the daughter has become an independent, self-reliant young woman. Each of the women keeps a bit of the thread as a reminder that the love they share will always remain in their hearts.

This bittersweet story, which cuts across gender and all cultures, is one of bonding and how it evolves over time. The bonds or common threads can apply to children and parents, siblings, spouses or friends. Without being maudlin or sappy, the story hits an emotional nerve as it shows the strength and importance of our connections with others.

The illustrations consist of simple line drawings and a pastel colour palette which add to the story’s simple, yet powerful, message.

Beautifully written, Threads would make a wonderful gift for new parents.