Last week one of my lovely coworkers here at the West and I were discussing an author for whom we share a mutual admiration. She mentioned a title I hadn’t read by this author and proceeded to bring me a copy. With a tissue inside.
The more I read of Patricia Polacco’s books, the more I’m convinced that the library should probably provide our readers with tissues to go with most of her books. If you haven’t yet discovered her work, she is a prolific author and illustrator of picture books. Don’t let the picture book designation turn you off. As I read more and more of Polacco’s work I increasingly feel like her books can and should be enjoyed even more by adults than by children. Her books are often inspired by stories from her own life (like Thank You, Mr. Falker), stories she hears when she does school visits (like Mr. Lincoln’s Way) or, my personal favorites, family stories that have been handed down to her.
My maternal grandmother was an accomplished storyteller and her forte was family stories. Although my family’s narrative is quite different than Patricia Polacco, her picture books give me the same feeling that listening to my grandmother’s stories always did. Since November is National Picture Book month it seemed appropriate to devote today’s Wednesdays @ West to some of these lovely books. So here are my Top Five Patricia Polacco Books for Adults:
The Blessing Cup is the story of the author’s great-grandmother’s 
escape from Russia after her Jewish family had been ordered to leave the country. Anna’s family must leave almost all of their possessions behind, but they manage to bring with them a tea set that has always brought special blessings to their family. This book is both a timely reminder of the reality of life as a refugee and a life-affirming look at what can be accomplished through the kindness of strangers.
The Keeping Quilt is a companion to The Blessing Cup. Anna’s family has arrived in the United States after their perilous escape from Russia. Her babushka is one of the last things Anna has to remind her of home. When she outgrows it, however, her mother turns it and other family members’ clothes into a special quilt that is handed down through the generations and witnesses many special family times.
Skipping ahead a couple of generations, Betty Doll shares the story of yet another of Polacco’s family heirlooms. The titular doll originally belonged to Patrica’s mother, Mary Ellen. After Mary Ellen’s death, Patricia discovers the doll and a letter her mother had written to her. Betty Doll accompanied Mary Ellen through many of life’s ups and downs and now, as “Trisha” mourns her mother’s death, she finds that Betty offers her a similar comfort. I’d recommend this tear-jerker to anyone who loves or misses their mother.
Even though she is an author for children, Patricia Polacco does not hesitate to tackle the big, sad stories of history. In addition to writing about her family’s refugee experience, she shares the story of her aunt’s experience with the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of France in The Butterfly. Monique is just a child, but has learned to fear the Nazi soldiers who have taken over her hometown. The reality of their brutality is not lost on the young girl when she sees them drag off a beloved shopkeeper and crush a butterfly for sport. But when Monique befriends a Jewish child, who is hiding in her home, she and her new friend’s child-like ways can’t help but put two families at risk.
With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, I can’t think of a better time to read Pink and Say. Pink and Say are two soldiers of different races, but both are fighting for the Union cause. One young solider, a former slave, rescues another and brings him home to convalesce. The rescued soldier was Patricia Polacco’s great-great-grandfather and this piece of family folklore was handed down through generations.
While I’m not quite yet ready for holiday books, I also want to mention, as a bonus, that if you’re looking for a charming Christmas story this year, I’d suggest you take a look at An Orange for Frankie. This is (in my humble opinion) the best of several Christmas stories written by Polacco. Frankie’s family is celebrating the holiday during the Great Depression, but financial hardship and bad weather don’t deter this family from holding fast to their traditions, while pulling together as a family and embodying the very best of the Christmas spirit.
One reviewer on GoodReads described reading one of Ms. Polacco’s books as a “luxury” and that’s just how they feel to me. Reading her books feels like wrapping yourself in a quilt on a cold night and drinking a cup of tea. Just make sure you bring your tissue box with you.