"Master storyteller and artist Patricia Polacco has outdone herself in this poignant holiday tale of two families, two faiths and two lonely people united by a beautiful twist of fate."
-from the book jacket of Christmas Tapestry
My love for this author/artist goes back to my teaching days when I discovered her amazing stories, mostly originating from within her family, and her wonderful illustrations. All of her books are picture books which appear to be for young children but many contain stories of multigenerational interest and appeal. I believe all 3 of these, some of my very favorites, are examples of such.
Christmas Tapestry (see quote)
A story of nothing short of a Christmas miracle, this one touches me deeply every time I hear or read it. I loved it so much I adapted it for the stage and produced it at my church as a live radio play, giving complete credit to Polacco for the story. The audience thought it was outstanding. I conducted a talk-back after the show and the cast enjoyed sharing what the story had meant to them.
Pink and Say
I shared this Civil War story with my 5th graders when we were studying that time period. I had not read it in a number of years and when I reread it recently, it brought tears to my eyes once again. It is the story of two very young Union soldiers brought together when one helps the other who has been wounded. Sheldon Russell Curtis, nicknamed Say, is the injured soldier who happens to be white. Pinkus Aylee, Pink for short, is the black soldier who rescues him after a battle in Georgia. It is a beautiful story of friendship and heroism which sheds light on the horrors of war. I bet you cannot read it without goosebumps or a lump in the throat.
The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Another December holiday story involves two families who are neighbors---one Christian, the other Jewish. While the Jewish family is preparing for Hanukkah, they find out their Christian neighbors, the Kremmels, are sick with scarlet fever and will not be able to make Christmas preparations. The Jewish family then sets about organizing Christmas for them---with very special decorations and food. A touching story of brotherly love!
Ms. Polacco is so very talented and prolific, with many other books to her credit. Some involve teachers, which are near and dear to my heart, and two others I really love are The Keeping Quilt and The Butterfly. I would insist that most of Polacco's books are not just for children!
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