"I was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1944. Soon after my birth I
lived in Williamston, Michigan and then moved onto my grandparents
farm in Union City, Michigan."I lived on the farm with my mom and
Grandparents until 1949. That is when my Babushka (my grandmother)
died and we prepared to move away from Michigan. I must say that
living on that little farm with them was the most magical time of
my life...and that my Babushka and other grandparents were some of
the most inspirational people in my life.
"My parents were divorced when I was 3, and both my father and
mother moved back into the homes of their parents. I spent the
school year with my mother, and the summers with my dad. In both
households I was the apple of my grandparents' eyes! I would say
that these relationships with my grandparents have most definitely
influenced my life and my work. You probably have noticed that in
almost every book that I write there is a very young person who is
interacting with an elderly person. Personally, I feel that this is
the most valuable experience of my life....having the wonder of
knowing both children and elderly people.
"The respect that I learned as a very young person certainly
carried over into my life in later years. I have always like
hearing stories from these folks. My genuine curiosity for the
wonder of living a very long life prepared me to accept the
declining years of my own parents.
"To get back to the farm in Union City...this place was so magical
to me that I have never forgotten it! This was the place where I
heard such wonderful stories told...this was the place that a real
meteor fell into our font yard...that very meteorite is now our
family headstone in the graveyard here in Union City.
"Did I tell you that I now live in Union City? This is after living
in Oakland, California for almost 37 years. But, you see, every
year I'd come back to Michigan to see my Dad and family.
"Anyway...
"In 1949 we left the farm to move, first to Coral Gables, Florida.
I lived there with my Mom and my brother, Richard, for almost 3
years. Then we moved to Oakland, California. I remained there for
most of my young life on into my adulthood. We lived on Ocean View
Drive in the Rockridge District. What I loved the most about this
neighborhood is 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.
"It is on Ocean View that I met my best friend, Stewart Grinnell
Washington. We are best friends to this day! He has a younger
brother, Winston and three sisters; Jackie, Terry and Robin. When I
was a student in elementary school I wasn't a very good student. I
had a terrible time with reading and math. As a matter of fact, I
did not learn how to read until I was almost 14 years old. Can you
imagine what it was like to see all my friends do so well in school
and I wasn't! I thought I was dumb. I didn't like school because
there was this boy that always teased me and made me feel even
dumber. When I was fourteen, it was learned that I have a learning
disability. It is called dyslexia. I felt trapped in a body that
wouldn't do what everybody else could do. That was when one of my
hero's, my teacher, found what was wrong with me and got me the
help I needed to succeed in school. Of course, now that I am an
adult, I realize that being learning disabled does not mean DUMB AT
ALL! As a matter of fact, I have learned that being learning
disabled only means that I cannot learn the way most of you do. As
a matter of fact, most learning disabled children are actually
GENIUSES! Once I learned how to read and caught up with the rest of
my fellow students, I did very well.
"I went on to University, majored in Fine Art, then went on to do a
graduate degree and even ended up with a Ph.D. in Art History. For
a time I restored ancient pieces of art for museums. I eventually
became the mother of two children, Steven and Traci, and devoted
much of my days to their education and upbringing.
"I did not start writing children's books until I was 41 years old.
Mind you the "art" has always been there for me most of my life.
Apparently one of the symptoms of my disability in academics is the
ability of draw very, very well. So drawing, painting and sculpture
has always been a part of my life even before I started
illustrating my books. The books were quite a surprise, really.
Mind you, I came from a family of incredible storytellers. My
mother's people were from the Ukraine and Russia...my father's
people were from Ireland. My extended family,(Stewart's family)
were from the bayous of Louisiana...also great story tellers. When
you are raised on HEARING stories.....NOT SEEING THEM, you become
very good at telling stories yourself. So at the age of 41 I
started putting stories that I told down on paper and did drawings
to help illustrate them...I guess the rest is history.
"I have enjoyed a wonderful career of writing books for children .
Who could have guessed that little girl that was having such a
tough time in school would end up an illustrator and author.
Children and adults alike ask me where I get my ideas...I get them
from the same place that you do....MY IMAGINATION... I would guess
the reason my imagination is so fertile is because I came from
storytelling and, WE DID NOT OWN A T.V.!!!!!!!!! You see, when one
is a writer, actor, dancer, musician; a creator of any kind, he or
she does these things because they listen to that "voice" inside of
them. All of us have that "voice". It is where all inspired
thoughts come from....but when you have electronic screens in
front, of you, speaking that voice for you... it DROWNS OUT THE
VOICE! When I talk to children and aspiring writers, I always ask
them to listen to the voice, turn off the T.V. and
"LISTEN...LISTEN...LISTEN.
"Now that I have moved back to Union City I am intending to open my
house and community and invite people to come there to take part in
writing seminars, story telling festivals, literature conferences
and various events that celebrate children's literature."
Born Patricia Ann Barber in Lansing, Michigan, to parents of
Russian and Ukrainian descent on one side and Irish on the other,
Patricia Polacco grew up in both California and Michigan. Her
school year was spent in Oakland, California, and summers in her
beloved Michigan. She describes her family members as marvelous
storytellers. "My fondest memories are of sitting around a stove or
open fire, eating apples and popping corn while listening to the
old ones tell glorious stories about their homeland and the past.
We are tenacious traditionalists and sentimentalists.... With each
retelling our stories gain a little more Umph!"
Studying in the United States and Australia, Patricia Polacco has
earned an M.F.A. and a Ph. D. in art history, specializing in
Russian and Greek painting, and iconographic history. She is a
museum consultant on the restoration of icons. As a participant in
many citizen exchange programs for writers and illustrators,
Patricia Polacco has traveled extensively in Russia as well as
other former Soviet republics. She continues to support programs
that encourage Russo-American friendships and understanding. She is
also deeply involved in inner-city projects here in the U.S. that
promote the peaceful resolution of conflict and encourage art and
literacy programs.
The mother of a grown son and a daughter, Patricia Polacco
currently resides in Michigan, where she has a glorious old farm
that was built during the time of Lincoln.
copyright 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All
rights reserved.
An old woman named Babushka always wins first prize in the Easter festival for her exquisitely painted Ukrainian eggs. When she finds a wounded goose outside her house, Babushka takes her in, cares for her until she is strong again, and names her Rechenka. The goose lays an egg each morning for the old woman, but as she begins to heal, she flies around, knocking over Babushka's jars of colored paints and breaking all her Easter eggs. Babushka is miserable, until Rechenka miraculously lays brilliantly colored eggs; the old woman wins first prize once more. Polacco's story is truly rewarding; Babushka's gift for coloring eggs comes across in a splendid array of folkloric patterns, minute detail and batik-like paintings. Babushka is given credit, but the artistry is Polacco's. Intricate designs and opulent colors shade every page, right down to the onion-shaped domes and peasants' festival garments. Ages 4-8. (April)
PreS-Gr 3 Babushka, a kindly, stout old woman, lives in a little house in the country near pre-revolutionary Moscow. She is renowned for the gorgeous Easter eggs that she paints so painstakingly during the long, cold winters and brings to the Easter festival in Moscow. As she is feeding hungry caribou one day, she rescues a wounded goose, names her Rechenka, and tenderly nurses her back to health. While exploring the cottage, Rechenka accidentally smashes Babushka's eggs and subsequently lays 12 beautifully decorated new ones to replace them. While Babushka is in Moscow winning a prize, the goose flies away, but she leaves one last egg in her basket. From it a gosling hatches that becomes Babushka's companion. The writing has a slightly mannered, fairy tale quality. It reads aloud well and is filled with love for the natural and sweetly supernatural miracles which take place. Vivid, extremely decorative paintings enhance and amplify the text. The intricate, colorful patterns of the Ukrainian-style Easter eggs are echoed in areas such as dresses, snowflakes, rugs, and city spires, giving joyous and vigorous life to the illustrations. As a contrast, the faces of Babushka and her friends are done in realistic, gently-caricatured black and white. Patricia Pearl, First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, Va.
Ask a Question About this Product More... |