My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (Paperback)

Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco

Paperback

0.91 lbs

0689820364

0.38 lbs

0.14" x 10.98" x 8.52"

Born Patricia Ann Barber in Lansing, Michigan, to parents of Russian and Ukrainian descent on one side and Irish on the other, Patricia Polacco grew up in both California and Michigan. Her school year was spent in Oakland, California, and summers in her beloved Michigan. She describes her family members as marvelous storytellers. "My fondest memories are of sitting around a stove or open fire, eating apples and popping corn while listening to the old ones tell glorious stories about their homeland and the past. We are tenacious traditionalists and sentimentalists.... With each retelling our stories gain a little more Umph!"Studying in the United States and Australia, Patricia Polacco has earned an M.F.A. and a Ph. D. in art history, specializing in Russian and Greek painting, and iconographic history. She is a museum consultant on the restoration of icons. As a participant in many citizen exchange programs for writers and illustrators, Patricia Polacco has traveled extensively in Russia as well as other former Soviet republics. She continues to support programs that encourage Russo-American friendships and understanding. She is also deeply involved in inner-city projects here in the U.S. that promote the peaceful resolution of conflict and encourage art and literacy programs.The mother of a grown son and a daughter, Patricia Polacco currently resides in Michigan, where she has a glorious old farm that was built during the time of Lincoln.

PreSchool-Grade 3-Featuring an obnoxious, freckle-faced, bespectacled boy and a comforting, tale-telling grandmother, this autobiographical story is as satisfying as a warm slice of apple pie. Patricia can't quite understand how anyone could possibly like her older brother Richard. Whether picking blackberries or eating raw rhubarb, he always manages to outdo her, rubbing it in with one of his "extra-rotten, weasel-eyed, greeny-toothed grins." When their Bubbie teaches Patricia to wish on a falling star, she knows just what to ask for. The next day her wish comes true; although dizzy, she remains on the carnival merry-go-round longer than Richard. Her nemesis turns into her hero, however, when she takes a spill and he carries her home. This warm-hearted look at a typical family relationship will strike a familiar chord with siblings of all ages. The endless "can so/cannot" arguments and the girl's total exasperation make the dialogue entertaining and realistic. Bubbie's musings are more poetic, adding a sense of wonder to the everyday tone of the text. Polacco's exuberant illustrations, done in marking pens and pencil, are filled with warmth and humor. Pointing angrily at one another or quietly cuddling against Bubbie's heart, the characters are carefully posed to reflect the story's varying moods. Barnyard animals provide an amusing backdrop to the children's antics, puckering their faces at the sour rhubarb and smiling sweetly at a tender moment. Black-and-white photographs of Patricia and Richie at different ages are scattered across the endpapers, adding the final touch to this endearing reminiscence. - School Library Journal

Ages 5-8. Polacco's story of her childhood rivalry with her brother Richard harks back to growing up with grandparents in Union City, Michigan, and catches competition at gut level. Her grandmother, Bubbie, whom readers will recognize from other Polacco books, doesn't seem to know how rotten Richard is. Polacco conveys the passionate intensity of conflict--trying to pick more berries, eat more rhubarb, and stay on the merry-go-round longer--as well as the abiding love beneath it. The figures of the children are intense and full of motion, and the facial expressions are beautifully accomplished. Surrounding it all are Babushka-clad Bubbie's comforting love and warm hugs.  - Booklist