I

. " _ I

LIDER THE ST4RS
IT THE

and Greek painting and
iconographic history.
"My family was a mixed
bag in that my father was
Christian," explains
Polacco, who is divorced
from a Jewish man of
Italian descent. "I was
raised to honor both faiths,
and I've done the same
with my children. We keep
the Jewish holidays."
While a tradition of sto-
rytelling was part of her
background on both sides
of the family, she developed
an interest in art on her
own. Coping with dyslexia,
she turned to painting for
self-expression.
"What made the two
Patricia Polacco: "I'm a firm believer that
come together was my son's
unless we are reminded of the horror that
diabetes," Polacco says. "We
mankind is capable of doing to each other,
we run the risk of doing it again."
were sent home from the
hospital with two shopping
bags full of literature he was
spill over in their adult lives to
supposed to read, but I thought it was
racism, antisemitism and ethnic
scary stuff for a little kid. I did a •
cleansing."
wordless book to get him through
Polacco's happy associations dur-
each day so he knew what he had to
ing her youth in Michigan inspired
do to survive.
her to move back after 40 years of
"A friend of mine who belonged to
being away. Not a reclusive writer,
the Society of Children's Book Writers
she has been working to create some
and Illustrators saw it and suggested I
art centers in Union City and has
start coming to meetings. When I was
written three other books that take
41, my mother bankrolled a trip to
place in and around the town —
Manhattan, and I saw 16 publishers
Meteor!, Mrs. Mack and Welcome
in one week and literally sold every-
Comfort.
thing that I had. From there, there
"I bought a huge old inn that's
was no turning back."
my home, and we have storytelling
Polacco's books have moral mes-
festivals, teachers retreats and librari-
sages and include Pink and Say about
ans retreats," Polacco explains. "I
war and social justice, Babushka Baba
bought an old firehouse in town,
Yaga about tolerance, and Chicken
and now it's our arts center. We have
Sunday about accepting people of dif-
art shows, concerts and theater
ferent races and religions.
events. It sounds very lofty, but it's
Her Web site, www.patriciapolac-
still picayune.
co.com , gets 70,000 inquiries a
"I would like to do a series of sto-
month. It was designed by her son,
ries totally based here in Union City.
Steven, who teaches art and art histo-
My hope is that children will get their
ry at the college level. Her daughter,
families to visit this magical little town
Traci, a psychologist, helps her answer
after reading these books." ❑
questions coming to her via the Web.
Polacco, who plans programs
Patricia Polacco will be signing
around her books, recalls her most
books at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June
meaningful interaction with a child
3, at Borders Books & Music,
had to do with teasing. He was being
3527 Washtenaw Ave., Ann
brutally taunted and didn't want to
Arbor,
(734) 677-6948; 12:30
live any longer — until he connected
p.m.
Sunday,
June 4, at Half Way
with her.
Down
the
Stairs,
114 E. 4th St.,
"One of my big issues is teasing,"
Rochester,
(248)
652-6066;
and
says Polacco, long ago derided by
4:15
p.m.
Sunday,
June
4,
at
the
classmates because of her problems
Oak
Park
Library
hosted
by
Book
with dyslexia that prevented her from
Beat, 14200 Oak Park Blvd.,
reading until she was 14. "When chil-
(248) 691-7480.
dren are allowed to do this without

being challenged, it absolutely will

Pho to by Kenn Klein

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