Patricia Polacco



Biographical Information

Patricia Barber Polacco was born on July 11, 1944 in Lansing Michigan. She is an American author and illustrator of children’s books. Her mother was a Jewish immigrant from Russia and the Ukraine. Patricia is Irish from her father’s side, who comes from the County of Limerick in Ireland. Her mother was a school teacher and her father was a salesman. Patricia’s parents divorced when she was three and she then went to live with her maternal grandmother in Union City, Michigan. Patricia, her mother and brother lived on their grandmother’s farm, which is the setting of many of her books. Her grandmother, or babushka in Russian, is also a character in several of her books. It was in 1949, when Patricia was five years old, that her grandmother died. The family of three, then moved to Oakland, California.

Elementary school was a hard time for Patricia, especially in reading and writing. She was teased by her classmates and made fun of because of her difficulty in reading. It was only until she was in junior high school, at 14 years old, that one of Patricia’s teachers discovered that she had dyslexia and could not learn the same way as other children. Her book, Thank You, Mr. Falkner, is a retelling of that event and about how that special teacher helped her overcome dyslexia.

She credits her imagination and expression through art as helping her get through the pain of being teased by her peers. In order to escape the pain, Patricia said she would live in her imagination; “It was safer there. I was pretty there, I was smart there, I could fly there.” The same kids who teased her would gather around to see Polacco’s artwork. Art was something she could do easily and in a 2013 presentation in Wichita, Kansas, Polacco said, “For me, art is like breathing.”

Patricia did not start writing and illustrating until she was 41 years old. Before becoming an author, Patricia studied how to restore old and precious religious icons. She did much traveling to places like France, England, Russia, and Australia to learn her craft. Polacco went on to earn a Ph.D. in Art History, with an emphasis on iconography.

Patricia Polacco married twice. She had two children with her first husband. Her second husband, Enzo Mario Polacco, is a chef and cooking instructor. She chose to take his name in honor of his family, some of whom died in the Holocaust. She has also honored Jewish themes in many of her works, including Tikvah Means Hope, The Butterfly, and The Keeping Quilt.

It was not until her mother died and her second divorce, and after 37 years in Oakland, that Patricia Polacco decided to go back home to Michigan. She moved to Union City where she now has a home and studio where she hosts story telling festivals, teacher retreats, and writing seminars. She has founded The Gaw Center for the Arts in her hometown of Union Hall, Michigan, named in honor of her mother’s family.

Themes

Patricia Polacco’s picture books are mostly based on her childhood experience and of her family history. She takes inspiration from her multicultural family. It is no wonder that the themes in her writing focus on diversity, the similarities across race and culture and highlight the beauty of everyday life experiences.

When talking about growing up in the Rockridge District of Oakland, Polacco said she loved the fact “…that all of my neighbors came in as many colors, ideas, and religions as there are people on the planet. How lucky I was to know so many people that were so different and yet so much alike.”

Artistic Style

Polacco credits her ethnic background for her artistic style. She credits her Russian for making her stories kind of ethnic, primitive, eastern European. She also credits her mid-Western American farm voice and her Jewish voice as an artistic style of writing.

Critique

A critique I was able to find on Good Reads was that of Pink and Say not being historically accurate, although this book is identified as fiction. It is based on the oral storytelling tradition of her family and is about the brutality of the Civil War as seen through the eyes of Polacco’s great great grandfather, Union soldier Sheldon Russell Curtis, “Say” and a young African-American boy named Pinkus.

Works

·      Lillian Two Blossom(1988)

·      The Keeping Quilt (1988)

·      Rechenka's Eggs (1988)

·      Meteor! (1987)

·      Uncle Vova's Tree (1989)

·      Babushka's Doll (1990)

·      Just Plain Fancy (1990)

·      Thunder Cake (1990)

·      Appelemando's Dreams (1991)

·      Dream Keeper (1991)

·      Some Birthday! (1991)

·      Chicken Sunday (1992)

·      Mrs. Katz and Tush (1992)

·      Picnic at Mudsock Meadow (1992)

·      Babushka Baba Yaga (1993)

·      The Bee Tree (1993)

·      Firetalking (1994)

·      My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (1994)

·      Pink and Say (1994)

·      Tikva Means Hope (1994)

·      Babushka's Mother Goose (1995)

·      My Ol' Man (1995)

·      Aunt Chip And The Great Triple Creek Dam Affair (1996)

·       I Can Hear The Sun: A Modern Myth (1996)

·      The Trees of the Dancing Goats (1996)

·      Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 (1997)  Author: Ernest Lawrence Thayer, Illustrator: Patricia Polacco

·      In Enzo's Splendid Gardens (1997)

·      Mrs. Mack (1998)

·      Thank You, Mr. Falker (1998)

·      Luba And The Wren (1999)

·      Welcome Comfort (1999)

·      The Butterfly (2000)

·      Betty Doll (2001)

·      Gracias, Sr. Falker (2001)  with Teresa Mlawer

·      Mr. Lincoln's Way (2001)

·      Christmas Tapestry (2002)

·      When Lightning Comes In A Jar (2002)

·      G is for Goat (2003)

·      The Graves Family (2003)

·      John Philip Duck (2004)

·      Oh, Look! (2004)

·      An Orange for Frankie (2004)

·      Emma Kate (2005)

·      The Graves Family Goes Camping (2005)

·      Mommies Say Shhh (2005)

·      Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare (2006)

·      Ginger and Petunia (2006)

·      The Lemonade Club (2007)

·      For the Love of Autumn (2008)

·      Someone for Mr. Sussman (2008)

·      In Our Mothers' House (2009)

·      January's Sparrow (2009)

·      Junkyard Wonders (2010)

·      Something About Hensley's (2006)

·      Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln (2011)

·      Bun Bun Button (2011)

·      The Art of Miss Chew (2012)

·      Bully (2012)

·      Gifts of the Heart (2013)

·      The Blessing Cup (2013)

·      Clara and Davie (2014)

·      Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece (2014)

·      Tucky Jo and Little Heart (2015)

·      An A From Miss Keller (2015)

·      Fiona's Lace (2014)

·      The Mermaid's Purse (2016)

·      Because of Thursday (2016)

Honors and Awards

1988 Sydney Taylor Award, Association of Jewish Librarians KEEPING QUILT

1989 International Reading Association: Best Picture Book of the Year: RECHENKA'S EGGS

1990 Commonwealth Club of California Award- BABUSHKA’S DOLL

1990-1996 Author's Hall of Fame, California Council of Teachers BODY OF WORK.

1991 Parents Choice Honor SOME BIRTHDAY

1992 Golden Kite Award- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Best Picture Book CHICKEN SUNDAY

1992 Commonwealth Club of California Award- CHICK SUNDAY

1992 Sacramento Capital Video Award- Best Video- KEEPING QUILT

1992 Educators for Social Responsibility in Children's Literature Responsible Author's Award- BODY   OF WORK

1993 Jane Adams Honor Award- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom MRS. KATZ AND TUSH

1993 Parents Choice Audio Award MRS. KATZ AND TUSH

1994 President’s Commendation Medal CHICKEN SUNDAY AND PINK AND SAY

1994 Parents Choice Award Best Book PINK AND SAY

1995 Bank Street College of Education, The Irma and James H. Black Book Award PINK AND SAY

1995 Jefferson Cup Award PINK AND SAY

1995 Best Book of the year New York State Association of Educators and Librarians PINK AND SAY

1995 American Book of the Year Award -American Booksellers PINK AND SAY

1995 BABRA Award 10 best books of the year PINK AND SAY

1995 New York Times Pick of the best of the year PINK AND SAY

1996 California Children's Book Award PINK ANT SAY

1996 David McCord Children's Literature Citation and Award, IRA -BODY OF WORK

1996 Picked as best children's book of the year in the following states: California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico

Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, North Caroline, South Carolina, Missouri, Arizona, Iowa, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia PINK AND SAY

1996 Colorado Association of Reading Award: PINK AND SAY

1996 North Dakota Library Association Award: MY ROTTON RED HEADED OLDER BROTHER

1996 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award: MY ROTTON RED HEADED OLDER BROTHER

1996 Jo Osbourne Award for humor in Children's Literature -BODY OF WORK

1996 - The Marquis Who's Who Publication Board Award -PINK AND SAY

1997 - West Virginia Children's Book Award - PINK AND SAY

1997 - Parents Choice, Video Award - THE DREAM KEEPER

1997 - Show Me Award- Missouri - MY ROTTEN RED HEADED OLDER BROTHER

1998 - Humpty Dumpty Award- Mid South Independent Booksellers for Children -BODY OF WORK

1998 - Story Book Award - THANK YOU MR. FALKER

1999 - Gold Award - THANK YOU MR. FALKER

1999- Association of Educators of Dyslexic and Learning Disabled Readers, Best Book - THANK YOU MR.. FALKER

1999 - Educators for Social Responsibility Award - THANK YOU MR. FALKER

2000 - Honor - Storytelling World Awards - Tellable Stories-ages 13-17; WELCOME COMFORT

2001 - Parents Choice award Luba and the Wren 2003 - Pennsylvania Young Readers Medal- best book - The Butterfly

2003 - Murphy School Award- best book- Mr. Lincoln's Way

2003 - Young Readers Award - Christmas Tapestry

2003 - Best of Year Award - top 10 list Detroit Free Press -Christmas Tapestry

2003 - Best Illustrated list- Detroit Free Press - G. is for Goat

2004- Author of the Year Award- Patricia Polacco-Michigan Reading Association

2005- California Young Readers Medal - Mr. Lincoln's Way

2005- Michigan Reading Association - Year's notable book list-An Orange for Frankie

2003- New York Times Best Seller- Parents Choice Award -Tho Gr Family

2005- RIF Selection - The Art of Reading - Citation award

2007- New York Times Best Seller- Ginger and Petunia

2007- Parents Choice Citation - American Cancer Society - The Lemonade Club

2008-New York Times - Readable books Citation -For the Love of Autumn

2009- Notable Books Award-National Coalition for the rights of Gays and Lesbians In Our Mother's House

2010-Notable Book Award-Michigan Reading Association - January's Sparrow

2011- Notable Books Award and Citation-Association of Librarians, Washington D.C. Just In Time, Abraham Lincoln

2012- Body of Work-The Lab School-Washington D.C.- awarded by the President of the United States.

2012- The Regina Medal - National Association of Catholic Librarians for Continued Contribution of Children’s Literature

2013- The Library of Congress and the President of the US awarded PINK AND SAY one of the best books written for children in the past 100 years

2014- Sydney Taylor Award The Keeping Quilt (20th Anniversary Edition)

2015- Sydney Taylor Award-The Blessing Cup

2015- The Blessing Cup awarded Author’s Medal by Midland Authors

2015- New York Times Best Seller List The Blessing Cup

2016- Tucky Jo and Little Heart was selected as the 2016 Comstock Read Aloud Honor Book

Interesting Facts
 * At Oakland Technical Highschool, Polacco became friends with Frank Oz, from the Muppets.
 * The art in Polacco's books consist of signature Pental markers, acrylic, and colored pencils.


 * Patricia’s fee is $2,500 per day, plus travel, food, and lodging.
 * Patricia only travels by train or car. Patricia does not use the airline.
 * Polacco says that her great-great-grandfather shook Abraham Lincoln's hand in  the Battle of Bull Run. She heard this from her great-grandmother, Curtis'  daughter, who would tell her to touch her hand, and then tell her: "You've just  touched the hand that touched the hand that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln."