WELCOME COMFORT
Patricia Polacco, . . Puffin, $6.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-698-11965-9
In a starred review,
Details
Reviewed on: 09/23/2002
Genre: Children's
Hardcover - 1 pages - 978-0-399-23169-8
Prebound-Glued - 978-0-7569-1312-0
- Amazon
- Apple Books
- Barnes & Noble
- Bookshop
- Share
- Tweet
- Copy Link
More By and About this Authorchevron_right
- THE KEEPING QUILTPatricia PolaccoThis 10th-anniversary edition of Polacco's family story about a quilt made from an immigrant Jewish family's clothing from their Russian homeland "adds a few squares to the original Continue reading »
- MR. LINCOLN'S WAYPatricia PolaccoEveryone thinks Eugene "Mean Gene" Esterhause, the school bully, is trouble "with a capital T." Everyone but Mr. Lincoln, that is, "the coolest principal in the whole Continue reading »
- LUBA AND THE WRENPatricia Polacco"Even if it is a bit subtle, the happy ending puts an agreeable spin on the standard version of [ 'The Fisherman and His Wife'], teaching the same moral in a light and positive Continue reading »
- WHEN LIGHTNING COMES IN A JARPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Betty Doll) once again mines her own reminiscences, framing this offering around two family reunions, one long ago, one present day. Roly-poly aunties Continue reading »
- CHRISTMAS TAPESTRYPatricia PolaccoPolacco's (The Keeping Quilt) knack for spinning seemingly disparate characters and plot elements into personal yarns works to great effect in this holiday Continue reading »
- THE GRAVES FAMILYPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Betty Doll) mines the theme of children nourished by unexpected friendship, tosses in a little light horror and comes up with over-the-top hilarity. Continue reading »
- OH, LOOK!Patricia PolaccoMuch to the consternation of their young shepherdesses, the goats in their charge are on the loose and determined to let nothing stand in the way of their freedom. The pond certainly doesn't Continue reading »
- JOHN PHILIP DUCKPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Thank You, Mr. Falker ) adds another feather to her picture-book cap with this fictionalized look at how a lobby fountain at the Peabody Hotel in Continue reading »
- BETTY DOLLPatricia PolaccoAfter her mother's death, the author finds her parent's beloved doll, and the note attached to it inspires this story. "Polacco again elegantly embroiders a patch from the fabric of Continue reading »
- AN ORANGE FOR FRANKIEPatricia PolaccoHoliday treats abound in a colorful and touching story of generosity and the ties that bind, based on a story of the author's great-uncle. Young Frankie, along with his eight siblings and Ma, Continue reading »
- MOMMIES SAY SHHH!Patricia PolaccoPolacco takes readers back to the land of the busy, barefoot and babushka-clad villagers last visited in Oh, Look! , although this time the results are less Continue reading »
- Emma KatePatricia PolaccoPolacco (An Orange for Frankie ) takes a familiar premise and turns it into food for thought. The brief and knowing text, narrated by an unnamed pigtailed girl, Continue reading »
- Ginger and PetuniaPatricia PolaccoDroll text and playfully hyperbolic art serve up a piggish portion of humor in Polacco's (The Graves Family ) tale starring a porcine pet with plenty of Continue reading »
- The Lemonade ClubPatricia PolaccoMiss Wichelman, an energetic fifth-grade teacher, assures her students they can be anything they want to be (“If you dream it... then you can BE it!”). She keeps a basket of lemons in Continue reading »
- Someone for Mr. SussmanPatricia PolaccoPolacco’s (The Keeping Quilt ) exuberant style blasts through this predictable yet rewarding tale of a successful Jewish shadkhen Continue reading »
- January’s SparrowPatricia PolaccoBased on actual events, Polacco’s (In Our Mothers’ House ) story is at once horrifying and heartening. It centers on the Crosswhite family, slaves Continue reading »
- The Junkyard WondersPatricia PolaccoAs in Thank You, Mr. Falker, Polacco examines her childhood, her confused awareness of herself and her schoolmates as different—"retards," according to their common nemesis—and her teacher, an Continue reading »
- Rechenka's EggsPatricia PolaccoAn 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 Continue reading »
- Boat Ride with Lillian Two BlossomPatricia PolaccoWill is trying to fish, but his younger sister Mabel keeps scaring away the fish with her noisy questions, like, ``What makes it rain?'' and, ``Where does the wind come from?'' Out from the bushes Continue reading »
- My Rotten Redheaded Older BrotherPatricia PolaccoYounger siblings, take heart: Polacco's ( Rechenka's Eggs ; Chicken Sunday ) chipper new picture book offers solace to anyone encumbered with a bratty big brother. Patricia is continually aggravated Continue reading »
- Thunder CakePatricia PolaccoIn Thunder Cake , a grandmother helps her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunder by baking a special cake while a storm threatens. Although the book's concept is good, it does not fulfill its Continue reading »
- Chicken SundayPatricia PolaccoPolacco--in the role of young narrator--introduces another cast of characters from her fondly remembered childhood. Brothers Stewart and Winston often invite the girl to join them and their Gramma Continue reading »
- Mrs. Katz and TushPatricia PolaccoAn elderly widow and a scrawny, abandoned kitten provide each other with love and comfort in this gentle picture book. Lonely after her husband's death, Mrs. Katz appreciates the frequent visits from Continue reading »
- Appelemando's DreamsPatricia PolaccoA group of children stuck in the drabbest of villages share a secret: when their friend Appelemando dreams, they can actually see brightly colored, amazing objects float out of the top of his head. Continue reading »
- Picnic at Mudsock MeadowPatricia PolaccoA cast of clamorous children and colorful adults vivifies Polacco's latest childhood memory. Know-it-all Hester is always the first to point out shy William's shortcomings. At the annual Halloween Continue reading »
- The Bee TreePatricia PolaccoThe newest gem from Polacco's treasure chest of family stories extolls the virtues of reading--and of taking a study break. Young Mary Ellen would rather be ``outdoors running and playing'' than Continue reading »
- Babushka Baba YagaPatricia PolaccoLiving alone in the forest, Baba Yaga watches longingly as the babushkas of the village care for their grandchildren. Snatching an outfit off a clothesline, the wizened, long-eared creature disguises Continue reading »
- Mrs. Katz and TushPatricia PolaccoZesty art and sensitive storytelling light up these two books, the first about an elderly Jewish widow and her young African American neighbor, the second set in Amish country. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- Babushka's DollPatricia PolaccoIn this vibrantly illustrated cautionary tale, a selfish girl becomes ``quite nice after all'' after learning a valuable lesson from a doll that comes to life. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- In Enzo's Splendid GardenPatricia PolaccoIt's fiasco al fresco when Polacco (The Trees of the Dancing Goats; Pink and Say) dips into her well of family stories to serve up this cumulative tale of mayhem set in her husband Enzo's Italian Continue reading »
- My Rotten Redheaded Older BrotherPatricia PolaccoA girl burdened with a bratty big brother tries to do something, anything, better than he can. ""The text rings true with the authentic battling words of childhood spats,"" said PW. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- Thank You, Mr. FalkerPatricia Polacco, PolaccoFans of Polacco's (Thundercake; Pink and Say) work know well her talent for weaving her colorful family history throughout her picture books. Here Polacco shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia Continue reading »
- Babushka Baba YagaPatricia PolaccoThis ""direct yet resonant"" retelling of a Russian folktale has ""sumptuous colors, a rich melange of patterns and textures--and even a sprinkling of forest fairies,"" said PW. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- My Ol' ManPatricia PolaccoSpinning a tale about her traveling-salesman father, Polacco ""so effectively evokes time, place and personality that her characters come to seem like old friends,"" said PW. Ages 5-up. Continue reading »
- Welcome ComfortPatricia PolaccoLike Where Does Joe Go? (reviewed above), this warm blend of fantasy and reality delivers a satisfying surprise ending. Ostracized at school, an overweight foster child named Welcome Comfort is Continue reading »
- The ButterflyPatricia PolaccoPolacco continues to mine her family history, this time telling the story of an aunt's childhood in wartime France. Young Monique doesn't comprehend the brutality of the Nazis' mission--until the day Continue reading »
- Betty DollPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Thank You, Mr. Falker) again elegantly embroiders a patch from the fabric of her own life in a moving tale that demonstrates the importance of family legacies. ""I know that someday you'll Continue reading »
- Mrs MackPatricia PolaccoPW called this story of a 10-year-old girl whose father decides she is old enough to ride a horse ""inviting. The drawings convey the emotions of each scene, adding emphasis to pivotal points."" Ages Continue reading »
- Babushka's DollPatricia PolaccoLittle Natasha can't leave her Babushka--Russian grandmother--alone: while Babushka methodically attempts to finish her laundry and livestock-feeding, the impatient girl always has another, more Continue reading »
- Some Birthday!Patricia PolaccoThe entire family has forgotten Patricia's birthday. And to make matters worse, Dad has proposed an evening trip to the Clay Pit at the edge of town--``one of the scariest places on earth.'' Armed Continue reading »
- Meteor!Patricia PolaccoAs depicted in Polacco's typically ebullient artwork, all heck breaks loose when a meteor lands ``smack-dab in the middle of a yard'' in Union City, Mich. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- Babushka's Mother GoosePatricia PolaccoRenowned for portraying favorite episodes of her family's history in her picture books, Polacco (Pink and Say; Chicken Sunday) here mines the treasures of her grandmother's Russian heritage. Many of Continue reading »
- The Trees of the Dancing GoatsPatricia PolaccoPolacco's (Babushka's Doll) warmhearted memoir can easily be pressed into double duty for both Hanukkah and Christmas reading. On the family farm in Michigan, Trisha and Richard watch as Babushka and Continue reading »
- G Is for GoatPatricia PolaccoPatricia Polacco celebrates goats and their antics in G Is for Goat. In a rhyming text, the artist's signature babushka-clad girls cope with nannies and kids: ""P is for Push,/ when goats just Continue reading »
- Meteor!Patricia PolaccoThe last event people in Union City remember was when ""Bertie Felspaw got her elbow caught in the revolving door at the library over Coldwater way.'' It's no wonder they make such a big fuss over Continue reading »
- Uncle Vova's TreePatricia PolaccoFor the children in an extended family of Russian immigrants, Christmas at Uncle Vova's provides a literal and visual feast. There is the savory porridge, kutya (each aunt's recipe is different); Continue reading »
- Just Plain FancyPatricia PolaccoNaomi and Ruth are sisters who live on a farm in Pennyslvania's Amish country, where people take pride in their uncomplicated lives. But Naomi complains that everything in her life--from her clothes Continue reading »
- Tikvah Means HopePatricia PolaccoPolacco's (Chicken Sunday) characteristically rich pencil and gouache artwork depict a neighborhood in her Oakland, Calif., hometown, showing how it weathered the devastating firestorms of 1992. Mr. Continue reading »
- My Ol' ManPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Pink and Say; Chicken Sunday) again spins a family anecdote into a picture book, this time focusing on the adventures of her traveling-salesman father. Every day brings a surprise during the Continue reading »
- Mrs. MackPatricia PolaccoGirls who love horses will strongly identify with Polacco's (Thank You, Mr. Falker) autobiographical story of a climactic Michigan summer. Ten-year-old Pat is thrilled when her father decides she's Continue reading »
- I Can Hear the SunPatricia Polacco``It started that summer two years ago, the one that steamed into Oakland like a thief in the night''--Polacco's (Pink and Say; Tikvah Means Hope, see p. 133) use of language is characteristically Continue reading »
- Luba and the WrenPatricia PolaccoPolacco (Rechenka's Eggs; Babushka Baba Yaga) again uses old-world Russia as the backdrop for a timeless, vigorously illustrated tale, this one a variation on The Fisherman and His Wife. Here it is a Continue reading »
- Just in Time, Abraham LincolnPatricia PolaccoIn Polacco's (January's Sparrow) third book touching on Civil War history, two contemporary boys and their grandmother visit a museum. There, Michael exclaims that it "must have been cool to fight in Continue reading »
- Bun Bun ButtonPatricia PolaccoBrimming with nostalgia, heartfelt sentimentality, and eccentricity, this portrait of a tight-knit intergenerational bond will charm Polacco enthusiasts with its old-fashioned tone and bright Continue reading »
- The Art of Miss ChewPatricia PolaccoAs she did in Thank You, Mr. Falker and The Junkyard Wonders, Polacco pays homage to an influential teacher from her childhood—in this case, two of them. Trisha’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Donovan, who Continue reading »
- BullyPatricia PolaccoPolacco’s middle-school variation on Mean Girls is an overwrought but compelling literary hybrid: it reads like a novella with pictures. Sixth-grader Lyla and her brother, Jack, are new kids at a Bay Continue reading »
- The Blessing CupPatricia PolaccoIn this prequel to The Keeping Quilt, readers learn how Polacco’s great-grandmother Anna and her parents were forced from their shtetl in Czarist Russia and made their way to America. Among the few Continue reading »
- Gifts of the HeartPatricia PolaccoIt’s Richie and Trisha’s last Christmas on Grampa’s farm, and they’re convinced that the new housekeeper, who comes in the wake of Gramma’s death, does not belong. But Kay Lamity gradually wins them Continue reading »
- Clara and Davie: The True Story of Young Clara BartonPatricia PolaccoWriting with unguarded emotion, Polacco offers a porthole into Clara Barton’s early childhood. Plagued by a speech impediment, Barton sought refuge outdoors, caring for animals, and relied on her Continue reading »
- Mr. Wayne’s MasterpiecePatricia PolaccoIn Polacco’s world, children confront fears and solve problems with the help of loving adults, their exchanges captured with exceptional powers of observation; in this story, she recalls overcoming a Continue reading »
- Fiona’s LacePatricia PolaccoPolacco (Clara and Davie) adds to her library of autobiographical stories with this tale about her Irish forebear Fiona, who learns lace making when her mother’s once-expert hands are stricken with Continue reading »
- The Mermaid’s PursePatricia PolaccoThrough lyrical writing and expressive images, Polacco (The Blessing Cup) returns to recurring themes from her books: the importance of family, community, and reading. Polacco again draws on Continue reading »
- Because of ThursdayPatricia PolaccoPolacco (The Keeping Quilt) returns with a scattered story of longtime loves and new beginnings. Good things always come to Annie on Thursdays; it was on that day that she met her husband, Continue reading »
- Remembering VeraPatricia PolaccoIn this moving and loosely autobiographical offering, Polacco (The Mermaid’s Purse) recounts the story of Vera, an “ancient little yellow dog” she met in 1962 while visiting a relative Continue reading »
- Holes in the SkyPatricia PolaccoThis follow-up to Chicken Sunday again features Miss Eula and child Trisha, based on Polacco’s childhood self. Polacco describes Trisha’s loss of her beloved Babushka—who tells her before Continue reading »
PW EDITORS’ PICKS FOR
THE BEST NEW BOOKS
PW EDITORS’ PICKS FOR THE BEST NEW BOOKS
Featured Children's Reviews
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert
Sara Andrea Fajardo
“Up and down the crooked spine of the Andes... playing an epic game of paka paka con la papa, potato hide-and-seek,” travels agronomist Alberto Salas (b. 1943), questing for Continue reading »
Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love)
Laura Gao
High school sophomore Kirby Tan is a skilled competitive climber, an activity she picked up from her late thrill-seeking father. When her dynamic move at the Texas Youth Fall Continue reading »
A Song for You and I
K O'Neill
O’Neill (The Moth Keeper) crafts a pastoral fantasy exploring gender identity and what it means to be one’s true self in this tender graphic novel. Young Rowan, who has dark Continue reading »
Speechless
Aron Nels Steinke
Jewish sixth grader Mira, portrayed with brown skin, lives with selective mutism, a condition that prevents her from speaking in certain social settings. To cope, Mira channels Continue reading »
chevron_right
