(3) K-3 On a starry night, Patricia's babushka shares that she'll soon leave through "holes in the sky" and promises to watch over them from heaven. After Babushka's passing, Patricia and her family move to Oakland. There she meets African American Stewart and his grandma, Miss Eula (from Chicken Sunday), who becomes Patricia's stand-in grandmother. Based on Polacco's childhood, this is an emotively illustrated tribute to grandmothers both lost and found.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) K-3 Coast Guard servicemen adopt a small puppy named Vera and successfully hide her on base. When an emergency occurs, Vera comes out of hiding to assist in the rescue mission, winning over the stern commander. The dog's valor and skill in continued service earn her a military honor guard burial upon her death. Polacco's illustrations and notes enhance the heartwarming narrative, inspired by true events.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 When Annie Fetlock's husband dies, she loses interest in cooking and closes her diner. After a cat (whom she names Thursday) comes into her life, she rediscovers her passion and reopens the diner, where a kitty-caused kitchen mishap inadvertently brings Annie national success. What the story lacks in cleverness it makes up in exuberance. Polacco's pencil and marker art captures all the topsy-turviness afoot (and underfoot).

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Born on a Michigan farm in 1883, young Stella has so many books that her father and his friends build her a little library. For her part, Stella brings books to nearby farms and uses literature-culled knowledge to save lives. Based on Polacco's grandmother's experiences, this trifecta--history lesson, salute to books, and paean to community--features homey pencil and marker illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Young Patricia recalls the teacher who took her seriously and taught her to write. Accompanied by her distinctive illustrations, Polacco's over-long text centers on a student who creates a successful narrative by writing about someone she loves and respects. The book, Polacco's sixth about the important teachers who shaped her, is just such a tribute; the message is loud and clear.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 A Kentucky soldier stationed in the Philippines during WWII befriends a little girl and plays a pivotal role in helping the girl and her fellow villagers survive. Years later, veteran "Tucky Jo" and "Little Heart" meet again, and a grown-up Little Heart returns the man's kindness. Polacco's signature pencil and marker illustrations, replete with detail and emotion, accompany this moving true story.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 American Red Cross founder (and Polacco's ancestor) Clara Barton's childhood is chronicled. Davie protects and teaches his little sister, especially when she's ridiculed for her lisp. But gentle Clara loves and understands nature and becomes recognized as a healer early on. Polacco's sunny illustrations underscore the sibling affection and Clara's compassion; invented dialogue and lack of concrete resources bring into question the sentimental story's validity.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 A standard immigrant story turns dramatic when Fiona's Irish American family faces the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Polacco's own family history again provides the story's inspiration; an endnote reveals that the real Fiona's lace still exists. Polacco's emotionally resonant marker and pencil illustrations are equally adept at depicting the green Irish countryside and the grays and browns of Chicago life.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 An inspirational drama teacher helps Patricia overcome her fear of public speaking. "Patricia, let the play take you," advises the wise teacher. Polacco's trademark pencil and marker illustrations reveal character, capturing Patricia's progression from scenery painter to stand-in lead character in the winter play. Reds, yellows, and blues convey warmth in the well-paced but text-heavy story.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 The original edition of this fictionalized memoir ended with Polacco holding her first-born daughter. In 1998 she seamlessly added pages showing her two children using the quilt as their ancestors did--during play and to commemorate important family occasions. This twenty-fifth-anniversary expanded version includes fifteen pages of new life-change events, including deaths and weddings, and details about what happened to the original quilt.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 In this sort-of prequel to The Keeping Quilt, Polacco's great-grandmother Anna and her family are forced to leave Russia during the pogroms. They take with them a treasured "magic" tea set: "Anyone who drinks from it has a blessing from God." The understated telling is beautifully supported and extended in art rendered in soft gray pencil that harkens back to Polacco's early work.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(3) K-3 Inspired by her classroom teacher to pursue drawing, Trisha joins Miss Chew's after-school art class. As Trisha learns the "language of art," her clear understanding of negative space helps Miss Chew understand the girl's reading disability. Polacco's pencil and marker illustrations express the emotional shift as the young artist's learning frustrations fall away with better understanding of herself--thanks to art education.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(4) K-3 When the popular girls ask sixth-grader Lyla, a new student, to join their clique, she's pleased. But then they start a Facebook campaign against her after she sticks up for an unpopular boy, and soon the bullying becomes out of hand. The topical story with Polacco's distinctive pencil and marker illustrations concludes with a heavy-handed question for readers: "What would you do?"

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Paige loves Bun Bun Button, the stuffed rabbit Gramma made just for her, so she's devastated when Bun Bun, attached to a helium balloon, accidentally floats away. Expressive illustrations show the rabbit's aerial adventures, until--miraculously--she tumbles out of the sky into Gramma's tree. The lively, distinctive personalities Polacco creates for her characters--animal, human, and toy--draw readers into the tale.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 A train trip seems "way cool" until Grandma scolds, "No electronics...no texting, no tweeting, no e-mailing." Stopping at the Harpers Ferry Civil War Museum is boring compared to video games--until a time-slip adventure brings the protagonists face-to-face with Abraham Lincoln. Though the text can be heavy-handed, Polacco's fans won't be disappointed by the fantasy adventure or her sketchlike illustrations.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 In this story based on Polacco's childhood, young Patricia is upset to be assigned to a special-needs class known colloquially as "the junkyard." However, she's heartened when her extraordinary teacher urges the students to think of themselves as "Wonders," full of exciting potential. Though the text can be preachy, Polacco's illustrations create memorable characters and mirror the enthusiasm fostered in the classroom.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 The original edition of this fictionalized memoir, published in 1988, ended with Polacco holding her first-born daughter. In 1998 she seamlessly added pages showing her two children using the quilt as their ancestors did--during play and to commemorate important family occasions. This paper-over-board edition of the expanded version of Polacco's story is notable for its bargain price.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) K-3 This long picture book is based on a true historical incident, one that illuminates the necessity and strategies of the Underground Railroad. The sometimes brutal tale, written with a minimum of sentimentality, is dramatic and compelling. Save for some cartooning in the faces, the pictures reveal Polacco's work at its best: fluid and confident drawing, and an impressive command of the page.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(4) K-3 After her cat disappears during a storm, Danielle is heartsick. Six weeks later, Autumn returns, obviously well cared for. Who's the mystery person who watched over Autumn? With her distinctive homey illustrations, Polacco weaves a warm love story between a woman, her cat, and the man who rescued Autumn (though the sentimental tale will likely resonate most with adults).

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 In Polacco's inimitable storytelling style, she tells about a modern-day Jewish shadkhen (matchmaker) through the eyes of the woman's grandson. Exaggerated pencil and marker illustrations display Bubbie's outlandish efforts to capture the heart of picky Mr. Sussman. Jewish traditions abound: the kosher home, foods like kugel and challah, and the inevitable Jewish wedding between Bubbie and Mr. Sussman.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty