TARGET: Patricia Polacco's family

["Shaddix, Virginia" <shaddixv@PERSON.K12.NC.US>]

My mother is a second grade teacher.  She called me last night with what sh=
e called a "librarian question."

Her students are studying Patricia Polacco right now and they raised a ques=
tion about the grandmother in "Thundercake."  The students noticed that t=
here are Russian icon paintings of Jesus and Mary in the pictures of this=
 book.  However, Polacco's Ukranian grandmother was Jewish.  She tried to=
 search on the Internet for an explanation but couldn't find one.  Unfort=
unately, I could only add to her questions when I pointed out that the sa=
me grandmother was the inspiration for "Rechenka's eggs."

The best explanation I could give her was that the books were inspired by h=
er family members but were not actual biographies.  Polacco's books embra=
ce cultural differences so she may have added the paintings simply to ref=
lect the Russian heritage.  I told her I would turn to the wise collectiv=
e here to see if anyone had an answer.

Thank you in advance!


Virginia Shaddix, Media Specialist
Woodland Elementary School, Semora, NC
shaddixv@person.k12.nc.us

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