Polacco, Patricia Books - Page 4

Some Birthday!

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

4 1/2* Sometimes the Best Gifts Don�t Even Come Packaged 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This yarn is about a young girl's presumably forgotten birthday, mixed in with a pseudo-scary hunt for the dreaded "Clay Pit Bottoms Monster." The girl, Patricia, and her brother visit their divorced dad, an interesting figure who suggests after work that they look for the monster and take the first ever picture of it. Patricia is disappointed that her birthday was apparently forgotten, but she, her dad, brother, and cousin experience fun, excitement, and the unmistakable strength of her father's love as they try to lure the creature out of the lake. There's a surprise birthday cake (decorated with a rubber monster on top!) waiting for Patricia after they run home thinking they've met the "monster." Polacco ends with a nice touch: Her protagonist reports "Then everyone sang `Happy Birthday' to me. My dad sang the loudest-and off-key, of course. That's my dad."

There's a bit too much narration in Polacco's story, and her inimitable illustrative style is not as fully realized as in "The Bee Tree " (1998), Casey at the Bat (1997), or some of her other best work. Still, this late 1950's period piece has all the elements that make this author/illustrator one of my favorites: Warmth, the building of memories, and a uniquely enjoyable illustrative style.

Editorial Review:

A Child Study Association Children's Book of the Year

An IRA/CBC Children's Choices Book

A Parents' Choice Awards Picture Honor Book

Meteor!

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Most Outstanding Book Ever! 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Meteor is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm 14 years old and thats kind of old for a kid's book but it is really great. When I was in 4th grade. I got to meet Patricia the author of the book. She read this book to my whole school during an assembly. it was so cool. What's even cooler is that this story is true. She even brought a piece of the rock to the school and I got to touch it. Patricia is an out stand women. I love all her books she's written. Meteor is a great story about a falling odject out of the sky that brings the whole town to it. It's just great. Patricia is one of my favorite all time aurthors. I reccommend this to everyone.

Editorial Review:

The meteor that crash landed in Grandma and Grandpa Gaw's yard set off a chain of gossip and events that brought magic to many of the residents of Mudsock Meadow. "Based on a true event, this enchanting book overwhelmingly expresses the magic that suddenly pervades a small town, from the funny, folksy way the story is told to the imaginative, full-color illustrations."--Publishers Weekly.

John Philip Duck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

4 1/2* The Rules of the Game 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Patricia Polacco often imbues her fabulous children's books with social commentary (e.g., racial and religious prejudice, intergenerational differences, the challenges of being different, the importance of diversity and acceptance), but there's never been a Patricia Polacco book with so much contrast between the manifest and latent content.

Outwardly, and as your children or young audience will probably experience it, the book's American dream motif features Edward, a young African-American teen growing up during the Depression who finds and trains a stray duck found on his family's farm in Memphis. He sneaks it into the hotel where he and his father work, and the hotel employees keep the duck's presence a secret. However, when the hotel manager finds the duck swimming with some "decoy" ducks (there for an upcoming duck hunt) in the hotel fountain, he gives young Edward 30 days to train all the ducks to march to the fountain each day, stay there swimming, and then duly leave in the evening. Because of his determination, the ducks succeed, and the Edward man gets his wish of a shiny uniform--similar to what his hero John Philip Sousa might have worn. It's a very good story with familiar Polacco elements: The triumph of the underdog, the resolution of conflict seeded in race, class, and age, and the fun, loopy drawings.

However, this book is unusual--and noteworthy--for the subtle yet direct hits on the nasty and virulent social climate of that time. Polacco's illustrations of the somewhat ramshackle farm are benignly pastoral in sharp contrast to her portrayal of the Memphis hotel. The relatively wealthy white patrons and manager clientele are distorted rather than "loopy," with an appearance of corpulence and a suggestion of piggish consumption. The heavy makeup adds to this general air of decadence, and the pictures are almost grotesque, reminiscent of George Grosz, the German Expressionist artist and master of class-based social criticism.

The stocky, stern Mr. Schutt becomes a much more callous and dangerous man, evolving from a curmudgeonly but "good" manager who calls Edward "my boy," to a threatening, gun-toting representative of the ruling class who later just uses the pejorative "boy." And the reward? A shiny uniform--instead of firing his two employees in the middle of the Depression. Lest you think I am exaggerating, note how the hunters (who enter the hotel with their live "decoy ducks," designed to attract ducks that the hunters will kill) are all white, as are the guests here in the segregated South, the head chef, and the clerk, the first-line representative of the hotel.

Whether she intended it or not, Polacco lets a sinister underside slip through the warmth of her story, and there is a sleight of hand in her illustrations and narrative: Now it's a gentle story about a young man's dream--now it's a parable about the ugly side of human nature in general, and the beginnings of Depression era fanaticism in particular. This is an interesting and provocative story that will evoke varying reactions from its readers. Suitable for young children, and, on a different level, for their parents as well.

Editorial Review:

Edward loves his pet duck more than anything. He raised it from a baby, and now it follows him everywhere&150even to the big fancy hotel in Memphis where he works with his father. Everyone at the Peabody loves to watch that little duck do tricks; why, it can even waddle up and down in time to a John Philip Sousa march, which is why Edward decides to name it John Philip.

But one day the hotel owner finds John Philip in his lobby fountain and he is NOT amused. Until Edward has an idea. What if he can train a bevy of ducks to march along behind him, swim in the fountain all day, and then march out every evening? If Edward can do that, the owner tells him, he and John Philip will have a permanent place at the Peabody. But can it really be done?

Based on the real-life tradition of the Hotel Peabody Ducks, Patricia Polacco's latest picture book is one of her most charming to date.

Just Plain Fancy (Dell Picture Yearling)

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Amish Peacock 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is a delight for young and old readers alike, especially for those who love peacocks, as we do. The two little Amish sisters in the story find an exotic egg and place it with their hens for safekeeping. The little bird that hatches grows into a beautiful creature, but is much fancier than their plain chickens. The girls worry that his fanciness could lead to trouble in their community, where plain is a way of life. The bird makes an unannounced arrival at a large gathering of the community, much to the despair of the girls, who have secreted him and his beautiful feathers away for fear he will be shunned. One of the elders of the Amish community comforts the girls by explaining that the beauty of God's handiwork can never be shunned and that some things are JUST PLAIN FANCY!

As always, Patricia Polacco's artwork makes the story come alive. Her charming prose makes you smile as the girls decide what to do with this fancy creature while still being true to their upbringing. A wonderful book, especially for the animal lovers in the family.

Editorial Review:

From the award-winning storyteller Patricia Polacco comes the wonderful tale of two little Amish girls who discover something that is just plain fancy! When Naomi and Ruth find an abandoned egg in the grass, they know it is no ordinary egg. Naomi decides this special egg must be hatched, and when it does, the results are more than just plain fancy, they're a sheer delight! Full color. A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Appelemando's Dreams (Reading Rainbow Feature Selection)

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

4 1/2* Painting the Town 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Appelemando lives in a town so dreary that he likes to daydream. But unlike other children, his dreams spill out of his head in bright colors, coloring the drab landscape around him. Furthermore, his young friends accidentally discover that wet objects will hold these color daydreams. However, on a rainy day, his dreams literally paint the town red, and blue, and yellow, and green.

Up to this point, the story is exciting and the illustrations, richly shaded in a slight change from Polacco's more typical style, accurately portray both the drab and the bright. But halfway through, the story turns to a lost children motif, and, somewhat predictably, Appelemando's ability to color the sky leads to their rescue. There's a nice message here about having friends who believe in you and the importance of dreaming, but both the narrative and the pictures are a bit too uninspired for someone of Polacco's enormous talent. The dream that rescues the wanderers is bright enough, but not varied enough.... just designs that spell out "Help Us." and more pictures of animals and smallish abstract shapes. A 5 for any other author, but relative to Polacco's other book, this merits only a 4. Take a look at "Casey at the Bat," "Picnic at Mudsock Meadow," "Thunder Cake," the `Babushka' series, and many others to get a truer picture of Polacco's magnificence.

Editorial Review:

Because he spends his time dreaming, the villagers are convinced that Appelemando will never amount to much but in time his dreams change the village and all the people in it.

Luba and the Wren (Picture Puffins)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A wonderful version of a classic tale 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Polacco's book is a time honored theme, this retelling from the Ukraine. When Luba saves the Wren's life her parents insist she return to ask for a favor. The parents never seem to be satisfied and send Luba back time and time again. In the end the parents are returned to the happy couple they were when they started.This book can be successfully compared with any of the many available versions of the Fisherman and His Wife but also contains elements from The Stonecutter -- another tale available in several versions. Sometimes those with seemingly little power/wealth think other situations would make them a different person or happier. And when they do obtain power their humility is lost. Satisfaction seldom comes when one has not earned that power or wealth. Polacco's wonderously beautiful watercolors brings this theme into the full vision of readers. A delightfully new twist on a classic tale.

Editorial Review:

When Luba helps a frightened wren, it promises to grant all of her wishes. "I am content, I have no wish," Luba says-at first. Then Luba's parents convince her to ask for a bigger house. After that, they want an estate, and later, they ask for a palace. With the granting of each wish Luba hopes her parents will be satisfied, but instead they only want more. Where will it end? This Russian version of The Fisherman and His Wife masterfully illustrates the rewards of simplicity and the dangers of greed.

"Polacco's freely brushed watercolors are bright with decorative borders, richly patterned clothing, and exotic onion domes." (Booklist)

Firetalking (Meet the Author)

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Charming Autobiography 4 out of 5 stars.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful.

This book is written at elementary school age level. Patricia Polacco tells children more about her life, why she writes books, and how she accomplishes the writing process. There are numerous photographs of her and her family so that you can see the real people she writes about in Rotten Red Headed Older Brother and Chicken Sunday. Children who love her stories will be fascinated reading about her "real" life and seeing pictures of her and her home.

Interesting book - great concept 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My daughter brought this book home from school. She used her "book bucks" to select this and said it was the "only good book". Today I read through the book and agree that it is a wonderful book for school age children. The author basically shares information about herself, her heritage, her family, her career and her life through her writing. She really opens up about her passion for her family, her art and her work in a positive and enthusiastic manner. The book includes stories, drawings, pictures.

Betty Doll

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Polacco tells another marvelous family story 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Patricia Polacco has, once again, gone to her family for a story around which to hang her usual marvelous illustrations. "Betty Doll" doesn't disappoint. Polacco opens the book by telling the reader about her mother dying and about packing up her belongings and then finally going through them a year later. In some of the boxes Polacco packed up, she finds her mother's old, handmade cloth doll. Wrapped around it is the letter her mother wrote while dying of cancer.

Now before you decide that this is NOT a book for children, you should know that the book overall has a joyous, shimmering quality. The story concentrates on Betty Doll's travels and adventures, with Polacco deftly portraying Betty Doll in color while all else is in handsome but quiet black-and-white tones. This brings Betty's story to the fore visually, but as far as the story itself goes, she serves as a backdrop for different generations of Polacco's family.

The story is true, and it rings true. A little girl's love of her doll and the happiness she finds while playing with the doll come to the fore, as does the stability of Betty Doll throughout the changes of the little girl's life as she grows up, marries, and so on. This is a fine way to gently ease into discussing the cancer of a family member with any young child, but it is also an absorbing tale in its own right and stands ably on its own, aided by Polacco's usual impeccable illustrations.

Editorial Review:

Whenever Mary Ellen needed Betty Doll, she was there. Betty Doll saw her through happy and sad times, thunderstorms and parties, weddings and births. Now, when Mary Ellen’s daughter Trisha needs Betty Doll most, she rediscovers the sweet old doll, along with a letter written by her mother before she died. This touching story is a reminder of the power of a mother’s love and the joy of life’s precious moments.

My Ol' Man (Picture Books)

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

My OL' Man 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book to use to help children understand the hardships of loosing a job

A great book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My Ol' Man is a great book because it has magic in it and I like when pa tells them stories of his traveling. My favorite part of this book is the photographs inside the cover because those are actual photos of her family.

Nostalgic 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable, realistic. Ms. Polacco has drawn upon her own childhood once again to create another wonderful piece of children's fiction. The actual photographs of the author and her father add to the realism and help children to realize that author's are real people too.

Editorial Review:

Patricia's father is always telling stories, and the best is the one about the magic rock. But does the rock have enough magic to help when he loses his job? Full color.

Uncle Vova's Tree

Patricia Polacco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is about Patricia Polacco's Christmas traditions. I think this book will teach you a lot about Patricia Polacco. This book would interest elementary kids the most. I really liked this book.

A great holiday tradition 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

We have read this book every year since 2001 with our children, now ages 8 and 10. We all love this book- it is a reminder that Christmas is about family, love, traditions and faith. We have taken on two of Uncle Vova's traditions in our family- we set a place at the table for those who can not be with us and we put a gold dollar coin in someone's soup. Beware: if you lost a loved one recently, you may not be able to get through the end.

Editorial Review:

"Readers will embrace this family and their enjoyment of a holiday that is more concerned with the joy of being together than with what is inside each brightly-wrapped package." -- The Horn Book "Polacco gives a stunning look at the way her midwestern relatives celebrated Epiphany in the Russian tradition when they first arrived in this country....[A] heartfelt remembrance...A small gem." -- School Library Journal "The artwork glows with originality and verve. A fine read-aloud for the Christmas season." -- Booklist (boxed review)