Illustrated by the author
2014 Paula Wiseman; Simon & Schuster
HC $17.99
40 pgs.
Goodreads rating: 4.03
My rating: 4
Endpapers: solid bold green background with intricate last recctangle almost covering the entire page
Illustrations: ah, Patricia Polacco......
1st line/s: "Many years ago my father's family lived in a small, poor village a few miles from Limerick in Ireland. Everyone in the village depended on the textile mill that was soon to close. Most of the vilagers were unsure of their futures. But Glen Kerry was their home and all that any of them had ever known."
My comments: Another lovely family story from Patricia Polacco with many themes and at least one strong moral. Most of Polacco's stories come from family stories, and within the book itself there is usually some sort of oral story-telling. This is very strongly of that sort - a piece of the lace that is the second protagonist in the story is framed on the wall in Polacco's home. This is also a very vibrant immigration story.
Goodreads:
Many years ago, times were hard in all of Ireland, so when passage to America becomes available, Fiona and her family travel to Chicago. They find work in domestic service to pay back their passage, and at night Fiona turns tangles of thread into a fine, glorious lace. Then when the family is separated, it is the lace that Fiona's parents follow to find her and her sister and bring the family back together. And it is the lace that will always provide Fiona with memories of Ireland and of her mother's words; "In your heart your true home resides, and it will always be with you as long as you remember those you love."This generational story from the family of Patricia Polacco's Irish father brims with the same warmth and heart as the classic The Keeping Quilt and The Blessing Cup, which Kirkus Reviews called "deeply affecting" in a starred review, and embraces the comfort of family commitment and togetherness that Patricia Polacco's books are known for.
1 comment:
I have not been able to find background information for use with this book -- for example, info on the tradition of children putting out milk for the little people, definitions for terms such as "sprookers," or "dry kitchen." Responses will be too late for this book, but what are good resources for a volunteer reading picture books to children in school libraries?
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