Tales of Russian and Jewish customs and folklore, children and their Babushkas, living on a farm and catching fireflies at night . . . but how did author Patricia Polacco dream up all of these wonderful stories? The fact is she didn’t; well, for the most part anyway. Her ancestors and her lived them. Patricia Polacco is the author and illustrator of 41 children’s books and has written one autobiography. Unlike most authors and illustrators, she did not begin publishing her books until she was 41 years old. Born in Lansing, Michigan in 1944, Polacco spent the first five years of her life on her grandparents’ farm in Union City. After finishing high school, Polacco attended a university where she majored in Fine Arts and ended up with a Ph.D. in Art History. She is the recipient of many literary awards, including the Parents Choice Honors for her books Some Birthday and Thank You, Mr. Falker as well as for her video Dream Keeper. Many of the books that Patricia Polacco wrote came from her own memories, her family’s history, and from growing up with a family full of incredible storytellers.
Polacco got the majority of her story ideas from events that actually happened to her as a child. For example, on her grandparents’ farm there was a place where her family would sit around a fire and tell stories. Her homepage, at www.patriciapolacco.com, states that place became the inspiration for the book Picnic at Mudsock Meadow. Another more personal event that Polacco turned into a book was when she finally learned how to read at the age of 14. Polacco wrote Thank You, Mr. Falker in order to thank her teacher, George Felker, for helping her learn how to read. On her homepage, she stated:
“I didn’t like school because there was this boy that always teased me and made me feel even dumber . . . 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.”
Polacco’s dyslexia made school very difficult for her. This book was meant to send a message out to kids with dyslexia so they could see that she was not perfect either. In some of her illustrations, Trisha appears to be sweaty, hot, and scared. These were meant to show that it was not easy for her to overcome her dyslexia, but with a lot of hard work, she did it! Most of the things that happened to Trisha in the book also happened to Polacco in real life, like the boy picking on her and making her feel dumb and how the girl lived with her grandparents. In fact, in almost all of her books there is a young character who interacts with an elderly person, just as Polacco had lived with her grandparents when she was a little girl.
In the book Some Birthday! the little girl’s parents are divorced and she lives with her father, who is a traveling salesman, and his mother during the summer. This is exactly how Polacco’s life was as a child. According to her homepage, Polacco’s parents divorced when she was three and then both of her parents moved back in with their parents. She lived with her mother during the school year and spent the summers with her dad, who happened to be a traveling salesman. “In both households I was the apple of my grandparents’ eyes!” said Polacco, “I would say that these relationships with my grandparents have most definitely influenced my life and my work,” (sltPatriciapolacco.com).
Because Polacco grew up always having her grandparents with her, it must have seemed only natural for her to let her young characters know the wonder of having a babushka or a grandpa in their lives. In an interview with the Grand Rapids Press, Polacco states her stories are based on the memories she shared with her family. “I can remember sitting on my grandma’s lap, putting my ear on her breastbone and listening to her voice resonate through my whole body . . . and my mind going to a place where all my dreams came true. That’s what my stories are based on,” (Miranda). Those special memories also included the times when she would set with her relatives and listen to the tales that were told by people such as her aunts and her Babushkas.
Many of Polacco’s stories came from her family history. These stories were handed down from generation to generation, from the elderly to the young. Most of her books actually begin with a short story, letter, or dedication that lets the reader know that the book is actually part of a true story. For example the book Betty Doll was a story that actually happened to her mother, Mary Ellen Gaw Barber, when she was a little girl. Polacco included a letter on the first page, that states, “From Patricia.” This letter tells the reader about how she found a small box after her mother had passed away. In the end of this letter she states:
In this story I would like to share her words with you, for in the face of bitter grief, her sweet words brought comfort, insight and warmth that still linger in my heart . . . and will continue to, as long as there are children who tell children about mothers they love. (Betty Doll)
According to Polacco, she had been looking for a way to share her mother’s story with the world. It seems Polacco had so many stories in her head that had been handed down to her, that it was only natural for her to tell someone else, and she choose to tell her stories to the world through the power of books. The Butterfly is another book that Polacco dug up from her family history. According to Polacco, this story is based on the lives of her aunt, Monique, and Monique’s mother, Marcel Solliliage. They had actually lived during the French Resistance and had helped hide Jews from the Nazis. One reason why this story may be so dear to her is because her current husband is a survivor of the Holocaust. Again, Polacco tells the reader that this story came from a her ancestors by including her aunts’ names on the dedication page. She states, “To my great aunt Marcel Solliliage and her daughter, my aunt Monique Boisseau Gaw – two very courageous woman I will love as long as I live,” (The Butterfly). If Polacco’s relatives had never passed these stories on to her, many children would not know the beauty of having friends, relatives, and a story to tell.
Growing up with a family full of storytellers definitely helped Polacco’s career. It was her Aunt Monique who originally told her the story that led her to create The Butterfly. According to Polocco’s homepage, she stated, “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.” Having such a diverse cultural background and having people who knew the stories that went with it, gave Polacco the ammunition to write about what she knew and loved. For example, the book Babushka Baba Yaga is a retelling of a folktale that came from Russia. Since part of her mother’s family came from Russia, Polacco had quiet a few relatives who were able to tell her interesting Russian Folktales which she was then able to turn into books. Perhaps part of the reason why Polacco is so good at weaving her magic and turning stories that she has heard into books is because her family did not own a television. Polacco stated, “When you are raised on HEARING stories…..Not SEEING THEM, you become very good at telling stories yourself,” (www.patriciapolacco.com). Whatever the reason, Polacco’s books shine with a tone that can only come out of an incredible storyteller.
Patricia Polacco puts a little of herself as well as her family in many of the books that she has written. She digs into the heart of her memories, such as sharing personal moments with her Babushka, in order to tell an enriching and emotional tale. Polacco’s books are the result of the memories she has experienced as a child, her family’s history, and growing up with a family full of incredible storytellers. It is family that she emphasizes throughout her books. Because of this, it seems family is very important to Polacco. Her books send this message out to the world so young people everywhere will take the chance to experience the wonder of knowing their grandparents and having stories passed on down to them.
If you would like to know more about her wonderful books please read my article “Children’s Book reviews of Author Patricia Polacco.”
Sources:
Miranda. “Special to the Press.” The Grand Rapids Press. 18 Sept. 2005. 24 July 2006. .
Patriciapolacco.com. 21 July 2006. .
“Patricia Polacco 1944.” (Oct. 2001) Literature Resource Center. Lansing Community College. 21 July 2006 .
