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The Keeping Quilt
A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
62 people are currently reading
4,054 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Polacco
96 books1,037 followersPatricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 760 reviews
July 10, 2021
We've purged approximately 400 books in the past week, and this one, The Keeping Quilt, was at the bottom of a last pile of books that my kids had declared “giveaways.” I picked it up and almost broke out in a rash at the thought of giving it to anyone but me.
I'm proud of my kids; they've been incredibly diligent, packing for our big move. I'm also a little startled by them. Does no object in this house hold sentimental value for them? They toss book after book in the "giveaway" piles, and they do not turn back to retrieve them.
But that's how kids are though, aren't they? They're young, they're always in motion, and they don't cry because they aren't producing enough estrogen. They don't realize that the baby blanket they've so callously dropped in the donation box is one that they're going think about later, when they have their first kid.
Patricia Polacco gets it. She understands what it's like to look back on four generations of women and a beloved quilt that her great-great-grandmother made from an uncle's shirt, an aunt's nightdress, another aunt's apron, and her daughter's dress and babushka.
She understands all about peri-menopausal women and the swift passage of time and the importance of keepsakes in a world that is constantly in transition.
Ms. Polacco would also understand why I've allowed my daughters the freedom to give this one away, but I did insist on one more read aloud tonight, before I slipped it in the box. It wasn't long before the tears started, and I had to catch my breath before I could return to it. My 10-year-old gave my arm a squeeze and said, "You'll get through it, Mommy."
I'm proud of my kids; they've been incredibly diligent, packing for our big move. I'm also a little startled by them. Does no object in this house hold sentimental value for them? They toss book after book in the "giveaway" piles, and they do not turn back to retrieve them.
But that's how kids are though, aren't they? They're young, they're always in motion, and they don't cry because they aren't producing enough estrogen. They don't realize that the baby blanket they've so callously dropped in the donation box is one that they're going think about later, when they have their first kid.
Patricia Polacco gets it. She understands what it's like to look back on four generations of women and a beloved quilt that her great-great-grandmother made from an uncle's shirt, an aunt's nightdress, another aunt's apron, and her daughter's dress and babushka.
She understands all about peri-menopausal women and the swift passage of time and the importance of keepsakes in a world that is constantly in transition.
Ms. Polacco would also understand why I've allowed my daughters the freedom to give this one away, but I did insist on one more read aloud tonight, before I slipped it in the box. It wasn't long before the tears started, and I had to catch my breath before I could return to it. My 10-year-old gave my arm a squeeze and said, "You'll get through it, Mommy."
January 15, 2019
Another amazing family story from Patricia Polacco. Starting the story with her Great Grandmother coming from Russia on a boat, Anna is a young girl and all she has from Russia is her dress and shawl which is called her Baboushka. When Anna's dress gets too small, Anna's mother invites all the ladies from the neighbourhood to help make a quilt. So sad this isn't something which people get together to do today. After the creation of the quilt we follow the family and we leave the story with a wonderful drawing of Patricia holding her baby daughter wrapped in the quilt.
We loved the way the quilt was the thread through the stories of the generations and how this was coloured and the rest of the illustrations were sepia. A minor downside for us was although much of the drawing is skilful and almost photographic the scale is often wrong, a head too big or a neck missing, this frustrates me as just a few tweaks could put these right. Many of the faces are excellent but some expressions are odd, grotesque or sneering which can be confusing for a child as it can appear as if you are meant to see this is a mean character. We also both thought that a quilt so special having been handed down through many generations would have perhaps been treated more carefully. At the end of the story it is used for a 1yr olds birthday tea table cloth with a piece of chocolate cake about to fall on it and children virtually standing on the edges draped on the ground and in another scene being dragged around the garden! Given that most of the quilt is white we wondered how realistic this was. We did feel sad for the quilt then, something with so much history deserves to be looked after for future generations. I was left wondering if this quilt is still around, it would have been amazing to see a photo of this at the end of book, we both thought the quilt (which would be called an applique in the UK) looked very modern in style so we were really interested to see what it looked like.
However, minor quibbles aside, we thought this was a very enjoyable and interesting story of a family viewed over several generations.
We loved the way the quilt was the thread through the stories of the generations and how this was coloured and the rest of the illustrations were sepia. A minor downside for us was although much of the drawing is skilful and almost photographic the scale is often wrong, a head too big or a neck missing, this frustrates me as just a few tweaks could put these right. Many of the faces are excellent but some expressions are odd, grotesque or sneering which can be confusing for a child as it can appear as if you are meant to see this is a mean character. We also both thought that a quilt so special having been handed down through many generations would have perhaps been treated more carefully. At the end of the story it is used for a 1yr olds birthday tea table cloth with a piece of chocolate cake about to fall on it and children virtually standing on the edges draped on the ground and in another scene being dragged around the garden! Given that most of the quilt is white we wondered how realistic this was. We did feel sad for the quilt then, something with so much history deserves to be looked after for future generations. I was left wondering if this quilt is still around, it would have been amazing to see a photo of this at the end of book, we both thought the quilt (which would be called an applique in the UK) looked very modern in style so we were really interested to see what it looked like.
However, minor quibbles aside, we thought this was a very enjoyable and interesting story of a family viewed over several generations.
November 20, 2009
I love this picture book biography about a family and their quilt.
The illustrations are wonderful. The quilt and its dress and babushka that went into making it, are shown in glorious color; the rest of the illustrations are done in charcoal. It makes for a lovely effect.
The story is very moving. It starts when the author’s great grandmother came to America and how as she outgrew her dress, that dress and her headscarf were used, along with other family members’ items, were used to make a quilt. The story follows this quilt down generations of the family. It’s used for a variety of things including a huppa at weddings, a blanket to welcome new babies, a tablecloth for birthday celebrations, the making of superhero capes, etc. It’s the story of a family and how it grows and changes with each generation but how the quilt ties them all together.
The illustrations are wonderful. The quilt and its dress and babushka that went into making it, are shown in glorious color; the rest of the illustrations are done in charcoal. It makes for a lovely effect.
The story is very moving. It starts when the author’s great grandmother came to America and how as she outgrew her dress, that dress and her headscarf were used, along with other family members’ items, were used to make a quilt. The story follows this quilt down generations of the family. It’s used for a variety of things including a huppa at weddings, a blanket to welcome new babies, a tablecloth for birthday celebrations, the making of superhero capes, etc. It’s the story of a family and how it grows and changes with each generation but how the quilt ties them all together.
January 22, 2010
This is a lovely true story about family tradition as the quilt, made from an immigrant daughter's outgrown babushka, is passed down through the generations, making appearances at many important events. Polacco shows how religion and culture have evolved some through the generations of Jewish marriages down to Polacco's own. I appreciate the idea of the illustrations with the quilt being the only thing in color, though I'm not sure the overall illustrations really wowed me. However, I think this book will be very touching for anyone who has appreciated a treasured family heirloom and known the value in its ties to tradition.
January 12, 2013
I first read this book years ago in a multicultural education course I took as an undergrad. I was brought to tears in a hot summer classroom full of bored college kids but I was in awe then and reading it now, I was brought to tears again. Polacco is an incredible storyteller and it is even more incredible that her stories are true and from the heart. “The Keeping Quilt” was able to bring me to tears as a mother because there is something about sharing a quilt or any object across several generations that warms the soul. I was also delighted by Polacco’s usage of color. Limiting the color to just the quilt was a great strategy; otherwise readers could get distracted by all the other lovely people and objects in the illustrations.
August 13, 2021
From Russia, the author’s great-grandmother Anna arrived in New York City wearing a dress and a babushka. Using the dress, the head scarf, “Uncle Vladimir’s shirt, Aunt Havalah’s nightdress, and” Aunt Natasha’s apron, her mother created a quilt to remember Mother Russia and their family. The keeping quilt was used at the family celebrations - a tablecloth for Sabbath, a huppa for a wedding, and blanket for a new born. For generations the quilt has embraced and protected the family. Heartwarming. Julie, thanks for introducing me to the book!
February 2, 2013
Speechless… I am just totally blown away by this recent book I have read by Patricia Polacco! “The Keeping Quilt” is a beautiful picture book by Patricia Polacco that details the life story of Patricia Polacco’s family that has emigrated from Russia and how her Great Gramma Anna passed down her precious quilt to her children for four generations and has remained to be a wonderful treasure to her entire family. “The Keeping Quilt” is truly one of the best books written by Patricia Polacco ever written!
Patricia Polacco’s Great-Gramma Anna emigrated from Russia many years ago and when she went to school, she took her blue dress and her babushka (even though I am sure that “babushka” means “grandmother” in Russian). Soon afterwards, when Anna’s dress and babushka got old and Anna’s mother made her a new dress, her mother decided to make a quilt out of Anna’s old dress and babushka so that way it would remind them of their home in Russia. When Anna grew up, she got married to Patricia Polacco’s Great-Grandpa Sasha and Anna’s quilt was used as a huppa for her and Sasha’s wedding. Later on, Patricia Polacco’s grandmother Carle was born and Anna wrapped her quilt around her new born daughter.
What can I say? This is clearly Patricia Polacco’s most memorable and greatest work ever written! Patricia Polacco has done an excellent job at both writing and illustrating this book as it details the story about how important Great-Gramma Anna’s quilt was to the family. What was so inspiring about this book is that it details Patricia Polacco’s family history and I loved the way that she put so much emphasis on how the keeping quilt was such an important family heirloom and I loved how her family used the quilt for their family traditions such as using it as a huppa for each family member’s weddings. I can easily relate to the importance of family heritage in this book as my family has special heirlooms that were passed down from generation to generation and we get the opportunity to learn more about our heritages through our family heirlooms. It was also interesting learning about Russian traditions within Patricia Polacco’s family since I am always interested in learning about different traditions from other countries. Patricia Polacco’s illustrations are extremely beautiful and creative as the illustrations are shown in mainly black and white colors, however the quilt is the only image in the book that is colored and it helps signify the importance of the quilt to the entire family. I also loved the way that Patricia Polacco made her family look extremely realistic and heartwarming as they have realistic facial expressions that range from sadness to happiness, which truly made me feel so much emotion from the characters.
Overall, “The Keeping Quilt” is a truly beautiful and inspiring book about the importance of celebrating your family traditions and the importance of being a true family that many children will easily enjoy for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the Russian terms like “babushka” and “huppa” might be too difficult for smaller children to understand.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
Patricia Polacco’s Great-Gramma Anna emigrated from Russia many years ago and when she went to school, she took her blue dress and her babushka (even though I am sure that “babushka” means “grandmother” in Russian). Soon afterwards, when Anna’s dress and babushka got old and Anna’s mother made her a new dress, her mother decided to make a quilt out of Anna’s old dress and babushka so that way it would remind them of their home in Russia. When Anna grew up, she got married to Patricia Polacco’s Great-Grandpa Sasha and Anna’s quilt was used as a huppa for her and Sasha’s wedding. Later on, Patricia Polacco’s grandmother Carle was born and Anna wrapped her quilt around her new born daughter.
What can I say? This is clearly Patricia Polacco’s most memorable and greatest work ever written! Patricia Polacco has done an excellent job at both writing and illustrating this book as it details the story about how important Great-Gramma Anna’s quilt was to the family. What was so inspiring about this book is that it details Patricia Polacco’s family history and I loved the way that she put so much emphasis on how the keeping quilt was such an important family heirloom and I loved how her family used the quilt for their family traditions such as using it as a huppa for each family member’s weddings. I can easily relate to the importance of family heritage in this book as my family has special heirlooms that were passed down from generation to generation and we get the opportunity to learn more about our heritages through our family heirlooms. It was also interesting learning about Russian traditions within Patricia Polacco’s family since I am always interested in learning about different traditions from other countries. Patricia Polacco’s illustrations are extremely beautiful and creative as the illustrations are shown in mainly black and white colors, however the quilt is the only image in the book that is colored and it helps signify the importance of the quilt to the entire family. I also loved the way that Patricia Polacco made her family look extremely realistic and heartwarming as they have realistic facial expressions that range from sadness to happiness, which truly made me feel so much emotion from the characters.
Overall, “The Keeping Quilt” is a truly beautiful and inspiring book about the importance of celebrating your family traditions and the importance of being a true family that many children will easily enjoy for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the Russian terms like “babushka” and “huppa” might be too difficult for smaller children to understand.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
February 10, 2020
All right, Patricia Polacco, you win this round! Uh... rather like the last one. Or the one before that. Actually, I don't know why I even bother pretending anymore, that I'm "ready" for one of your books, as I am inevitably reduced to a sniffling mess when I read them. In any case, where was I? Oh right, reviewing The Keeping Quilt...
This lovely autobiographical picture-book, narrated in the first-person by the author, follows the story of Polacco's family through six generations, from the time her Great-Gramma Anna first arrived in America, together with her Russian-Jewish family. It was soon after that momentous event, as Anna began to grow out of the clothing in which she immigrated, that the keeping quilt was made, put together from Anna's dress and babushka, her Uncle Vladmir's shirt, her Aunt Havalah's nightdress, and her Aunt Natasha's apron. With bits and pieces of their old lives all worked together, the quilt was a means of remembering where they came from, and was used, down through the years, in family celebrations great and small.
A poignant evocation of family tradition, and how it binds the generations together, even as the society around them changes, The Keeping Quilt also touches upon some of the classic themes of the immigrant experience in America: the longing for the "old country," the determination not to forget where one comes from, and the slow process of change, as the years pass. I liked the little "snapshots" of social change offered here, through the various weddings: first the men and women celebrate separately, then together (but with no dancing!), and finally, there are even outsiders (non-Jews) at the wedding. The artwork is vintage Polacco, with a little innovation: everything except the quilt is muted, giving added significance to this treasured familial artifact.
Highly recommended to all Patricia Polacco fans, as well as to anyone looking for good picture-books about family traditions and the immigrant experience.
This lovely autobiographical picture-book, narrated in the first-person by the author, follows the story of Polacco's family through six generations, from the time her Great-Gramma Anna first arrived in America, together with her Russian-Jewish family. It was soon after that momentous event, as Anna began to grow out of the clothing in which she immigrated, that the keeping quilt was made, put together from Anna's dress and babushka, her Uncle Vladmir's shirt, her Aunt Havalah's nightdress, and her Aunt Natasha's apron. With bits and pieces of their old lives all worked together, the quilt was a means of remembering where they came from, and was used, down through the years, in family celebrations great and small.
A poignant evocation of family tradition, and how it binds the generations together, even as the society around them changes, The Keeping Quilt also touches upon some of the classic themes of the immigrant experience in America: the longing for the "old country," the determination not to forget where one comes from, and the slow process of change, as the years pass. I liked the little "snapshots" of social change offered here, through the various weddings: first the men and women celebrate separately, then together (but with no dancing!), and finally, there are even outsiders (non-Jews) at the wedding. The artwork is vintage Polacco, with a little innovation: everything except the quilt is muted, giving added significance to this treasured familial artifact.
Highly recommended to all Patricia Polacco fans, as well as to anyone looking for good picture-books about family traditions and the immigrant experience.
September 28, 2015
In “The Keeping Quilt” by Patricia Polacco, we are introduced to generations of a family who came to the United States from Russia. The story’s plot articulates the use of old clothing and materials people of the family brought together in order to create a quilt. From scraps of clothing to babushka dolls, the quilt was sewed together to be used by the family during different events in their lifetimes such as gatherings, engagements, weddings, births and deaths. The quilt created many traditions and would now keep being passed on by generation to generation. The illustrations in this book were very flattering to the story. The use of saturated colors brought attention mostly to what the author was revealing meaning from, the quilt. Although the first thing the reader sees on the page is the quilt, the sepia toned illustrations of the people create a whole for the image; it gives more character to who is who in the story. “The Keeping Quilt” certainly allows the reader to step into an unfamiliar culture and exposes us to the traditions of a family full of love. Patricia Polacco gives the reader examples of how other cultures may celebrate specific events such as engagements. “To show he wanted to be her husband, he gave Anna a gold coin, a dried flower, and a piece of rock salt, all tied into a linen handkerchief. The gold was for wealth, the flower for love, and the salt so their lives would have flavor”. She also uses vocabulary such as babushka and kulich to expose others of the values this specific culture has. Being multicultural myself, I had a very good time learning about the Russian culture and to compare some of the similarities and differences with other cultures I know of.
October 5, 2012
We really enjoy Patricia Polacco's stories and so we look for them often at our local library. Lucky for us, she is a very prolific writer, so we still have a lot of her books to discover.
This is a wonderful tale about a piece of history that has remained within a family and helped to keep the memory of their ancestors alive. The story is a simple one, but it is very heartwarming. The illustrations are an unusual mix of black and white with spots of color, usually featuring the quilt or material that helped to make the quilt.
The story is quite emotional in several spots and the people are often very expressive. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we will certainly look for more of her books at our local library.
This story was selected as one of the books for the December 2012 - Warm Quilts and Soft Mittens reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This is a wonderful tale about a piece of history that has remained within a family and helped to keep the memory of their ancestors alive. The story is a simple one, but it is very heartwarming. The illustrations are an unusual mix of black and white with spots of color, usually featuring the quilt or material that helped to make the quilt.
The story is quite emotional in several spots and the people are often very expressive. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we will certainly look for more of her books at our local library.
This story was selected as one of the books for the December 2012 - Warm Quilts and Soft Mittens reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
May 11, 2017
A children's storybook that revolved around a quilt of memories.
My Take
It was sweet enough—and I'm already prejudiced towards it as I am a quilter. And I want to make one of these. I absolutely adored the colorful animals and flowers that were appliqued on this quilt! I also loved the many, many ways in which this quilt was used and loved [although I did hold my breath when it was used as a tablecloth...eek].
It was more a story of family, keeping alive the memory of those who have passed on.
It's also a very personal story for the author as it's of her family and their family memories. Memories that took me back to my own family and family picnics at my grandparents'.
I'm also split on the way in which Polacco told her story. I wanted more. More of the cultural traditions Polacco's family brought from Russia. I appreciated the Jewish traditions---love the quilt as a huppa---but there must have been some Russian influence on it all!?? Or did I just not notice...?
I wish that Polacco had been more clear about Great-Gramma Anna's age when she first arrived in America---as well as a re-wording of "Great-Grandpa Sasha" with whom she fell in love. Took me a bit aback until I re-worded it in my mind to "Sasha, who became my great-grandpa". That first page had me looking for an old lady in the crowd. And why is there no name for Great-Gramma Anna's mother??
From the beginning with Great-Gramma Anna who comes across the ocean from Russia with her parents to America, and we follow the author's family to now, always with the quilt to keep memories alive.
The Characters
Great-Gramma Anna who married Great-Grandpa Sasha had Grandma Carle who married Grandpa George, and they had Mary Ellen who had Patricia who looks forward to keeping on with the quilt.
The Cover
The cover is very representative of the story with generations of women admiring the colorful quilt of animals and flowers.
The title is of a very important memory, The Keeping Quilt that keeps alive the memories of those who have made possible the family of today.
My Take
It was sweet enough—and I'm already prejudiced towards it as I am a quilter. And I want to make one of these. I absolutely adored the colorful animals and flowers that were appliqued on this quilt! I also loved the many, many ways in which this quilt was used and loved [although I did hold my breath when it was used as a tablecloth...eek].
It was more a story of family, keeping alive the memory of those who have passed on.
It's also a very personal story for the author as it's of her family and their family memories. Memories that took me back to my own family and family picnics at my grandparents'.
A gold coin, a dried flower, and a piece of rock salt…On the illustrations, I'm split. Polacco did a great job of rendering family portraits, and I do appreciate that using charcoal for the people and color only for the quilt really made the quilt itself stand out---thank you very much, Patricia Polacco! On the other hand, the contrast between the styles was jarring. It could well be that my love for fabric really wanted the clothing everyone was wearing to be more vivid. I did adore the evolution of fashion with each flip of a page.
Bread...
Wine...
I'm also split on the way in which Polacco told her story. I wanted more. More of the cultural traditions Polacco's family brought from Russia. I appreciated the Jewish traditions---love the quilt as a huppa---but there must have been some Russian influence on it all!?? Or did I just not notice...?
I wish that Polacco had been more clear about Great-Gramma Anna's age when she first arrived in America---as well as a re-wording of "Great-Grandpa Sasha" with whom she fell in love. Took me a bit aback until I re-worded it in my mind to "Sasha, who became my great-grandpa". That first page had me looking for an old lady in the crowd. And why is there no name for Great-Gramma Anna's mother??
...wealth, love, and flavor for their livesThe Story
...never know hunger
...for laughter
From the beginning with Great-Gramma Anna who comes across the ocean from Russia with her parents to America, and we follow the author's family to now, always with the quilt to keep memories alive.
The Characters
Great-Gramma Anna who married Great-Grandpa Sasha had Grandma Carle who married Grandpa George, and they had Mary Ellen who had Patricia who looks forward to keeping on with the quilt.
The Cover
The cover is very representative of the story with generations of women admiring the colorful quilt of animals and flowers.
The title is of a very important memory, The Keeping Quilt that keeps alive the memories of those who have made possible the family of today.
March 22, 2009
Patricia Polacco read this book to me at the IRC luncheon Saturday, March 21, 2009. What a wonderful read. The red babushka highlighted on the cover and the red fabric throughout the book chronicles the life of the quilt and the life of the family. This masterfully crafted, simple yet powerful, book reminds us of the importance of traditions in families. It doesn't matter what the tradition, tradition gives structure to a child's life, even when that child grows up. The caring, nurturing, loving grandmother is a grandmother in any culture regardless of race or religion. Listening to Polacco read this book to us was like going back to our own mothers and grandmothers, smelling their cooking, paying attention to their admonitions, and listening to their stories. The tone of this book, whether I read it myself, or I listen to Patricia Polacco read it is one of quiet, nostalgic, reflection. It is for sure a never ending story. Polacco is hoping to add to this book again, as she patiently waits for her kids, now approaching 40, to have their own children to wrap in The Keeping Quilt.
June 17, 2008
A story about the immigration of Ms. Polacco's relatives from Russia and how a quilt made from worn out clothes brings the memory of far off relatives closer and binds them all together - Interesting use eof color for the quilt while other illustrations are in browns
July 8, 2017
Lovely story. My kids were inspired to start a Keeping Quilt of our own:
August 3, 2020
Maybe I was not in the right mood -- and certainly I'm not in the right age range -- but I read this while DD#2 (age 3) snoozed in the back seat, and though the book didn't put me to sleep, it was a struggle to finish, on account of being really boring.
The author's great-grandmother immigrates from Russia as a little girl, and as she grows her mother makes her a quilt from her no-longer-fitting Russian clothes. Then we see some changes in Jewish marriage and courtship ceremonies over the intervening years.
At last, we finish with the author's fervent hope for grandchildren to whom she can pass on her boring quilt stories. I was rather touched, and.... well, fine. She gets an additional star. I'm pleased to see, from a bit of online stalking, that her nagging her kids about the subject in a book that sold tens of thousands of copies was eventually fruitful.
The author's great-grandmother immigrates from Russia as a little girl, and as she grows her mother makes her a quilt from her no-longer-fitting Russian clothes. Then we see some changes in Jewish marriage and courtship ceremonies over the intervening years.
At last, we finish with the author's fervent hope for grandchildren to whom she can pass on her boring quilt stories. I was rather touched, and.... well, fine. She gets an additional star. I'm pleased to see, from a bit of online stalking, that her nagging her kids about the subject in a book that sold tens of thousands of copies was eventually fruitful.
November 30, 2023
4 stars for the original edition. If you are going to read this to young children, recommend you stick with the original and avoid the 25th anniversary edition which adds some information which surprised me. I was glad that I was reading this on my own and not to my grandchildren.
Read
November 30, 2016The story is of the narrator's great-grandma (Anna). Anna was originally a dirt farmer, until she and her family moved to America, where her father loaded wagons and the rest of the family made fake flowers. The crowded and busy city was the opposite of the lifestyle Anna was used to back in Russia. At first Anna could not understand English at all, but after 6 months she was speaking English, though her parents never learned and she had to speak English for them too. She had very little left from her home, just her dress and her babushka. Her dress got too small, so after a new dress was made she took the old dress. She also took the babushka, and old pieces of clothing from her family members. Anna and her mother made a quilt, to remind them of home. Anna, her mother, and the neighborhood ladies got together. They cut out shapes, animals, flowers out of the scraps. The edges of the quilt were from Anna's babushka. On Fridays, the quilt was the table cloth for the sabbath. Anna fell in love, and Sasha gave Anna a gold coin for wealth, a flower for love, and rock salt so their lives would have flavor. Anna accepted; they were engaged. When they were married, the quilt was part of the wedding. When her daughter was born, Anna wrapped her daughter in the quilt. Their daughter grew up, fell in love, and the quilt was part of all of it. When Anna grew older, the quilt kept her legs warm. The quilt was there when Anna died. The quilt welcomed the narrator into the world, like it did her family before her. It was used as a table cloth. She used it at night, and her mother would tell her which piece of cloth belonged to which family member.
The story is, once again, a fictional family's tale, though it is steeped in tradition. Though the story covers a large period of time, the passage of time can be seen in the changes of the cultural and religious traditions described in the story. The integration of male and female celebrations, the addition of non-Jewish celebrants into a wedding, as signal different periods of time. The artwork in the story add meaning to the text. The red of the babushka and the blue of the dress are the only colors until the quilt is made. From then on, the quilt is the only thing in color. This helps the reader connect the quilt to different celebrations and important moments, such as when the quilt was in the proposal scene but not mentioned in the text of that scene.
The story is, once again, a fictional family's tale, though it is steeped in tradition. Though the story covers a large period of time, the passage of time can be seen in the changes of the cultural and religious traditions described in the story. The integration of male and female celebrations, the addition of non-Jewish celebrants into a wedding, as signal different periods of time. The artwork in the story add meaning to the text. The red of the babushka and the blue of the dress are the only colors until the quilt is made. From then on, the quilt is the only thing in color. This helps the reader connect the quilt to different celebrations and important moments, such as when the quilt was in the proposal scene but not mentioned in the text of that scene.
Read
November 29, 2016"The Keeping Quilt" follows the story of the creation of a family's quilt using old clothes of family members from "Backhome Russia"; the quilt reminds the family of their time birthplace. The quilt is passed from generation to generation between the women in the family. The quilt serves as many things, including a tablecloth and as a wedding huppa.
"The Keeping Quilt" follows the outlines of a historical fiction story correctly, as it addresses the impact of themes on the characters, such as keeping traditions and passing them on from generation to generation. The writer brings the story to life through authentic details, such as the formation of the quilt and when and how it is used within the family. He explains certain traditions of the Jewish culture and their importance in the lives of the women in the family. The characters themselves behave accordingly through their religion and lifestyles freely. The only "wrong" this historical fiction story does not contain is a conflict. The quilt serves as the main function of the story and is the driving force of the family. Although the story is set in the past, its themes pertain to the modern era, such as being able to express our traditions openly.
The visual elements of the story help bring this story to life. The illustrator mostly uses shading of colors and lines for demonstrating what are important aspects of the story. At the beginning, Ana's dress and babushka are colored while the character's around her are not. Then in the following images after, aspects of the quilt are highlighted through shading of colors for more sophistication and importance of content. The characters are formed through character outlining and are given specific details such as beards for the men, and dresses for the women. The visual elements bring not only the characters to life, but the quilt to life as well.
"The Keeping Quilt" follows the outlines of a historical fiction story correctly, as it addresses the impact of themes on the characters, such as keeping traditions and passing them on from generation to generation. The writer brings the story to life through authentic details, such as the formation of the quilt and when and how it is used within the family. He explains certain traditions of the Jewish culture and their importance in the lives of the women in the family. The characters themselves behave accordingly through their religion and lifestyles freely. The only "wrong" this historical fiction story does not contain is a conflict. The quilt serves as the main function of the story and is the driving force of the family. Although the story is set in the past, its themes pertain to the modern era, such as being able to express our traditions openly.
The visual elements of the story help bring this story to life. The illustrator mostly uses shading of colors and lines for demonstrating what are important aspects of the story. At the beginning, Ana's dress and babushka are colored while the character's around her are not. Then in the following images after, aspects of the quilt are highlighted through shading of colors for more sophistication and importance of content. The characters are formed through character outlining and are given specific details such as beards for the men, and dresses for the women. The visual elements bring not only the characters to life, but the quilt to life as well.
March 14, 2017
The genre of this WOW book is historical fiction. I would say it would best be used in a 3rd or 4th grade classroom. It depicts a quilt that is passed down through the generations of a Jewish family and with it comes memories and love. It is very well-written and engaging. It contains many colorful characters, vocabulary, and themes that are intriguing for the reader.
I think that this book would be beneficial when teaching about different cultures. It is primarily related to Jewish culture, but it could teach students the importance of different traditions, customs and ways of life that contribute to families from various backgrounds. I would also use this book to teach students about immigration.
This was a WOW book for me for multiple reasons. I really like how the book was illustrated. The pictures on each page were black and white, however, the features that the author felt were important or wanted to emphasize were in color. This was a fun and cool feature that I had never seen before. Another reason I felt this was a wow book was that I could really feel the passion the author has for her family and her culture. You can tell how strongly she feels about her family traditions and how important they are to her, and I feel this is an important attribute to have and teach to children.
I think that this book would be beneficial when teaching about different cultures. It is primarily related to Jewish culture, but it could teach students the importance of different traditions, customs and ways of life that contribute to families from various backgrounds. I would also use this book to teach students about immigration.
This was a WOW book for me for multiple reasons. I really like how the book was illustrated. The pictures on each page were black and white, however, the features that the author felt were important or wanted to emphasize were in color. This was a fun and cool feature that I had never seen before. Another reason I felt this was a wow book was that I could really feel the passion the author has for her family and her culture. You can tell how strongly she feels about her family traditions and how important they are to her, and I feel this is an important attribute to have and teach to children.
February 4, 2017
Text-to- World Connection:
I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very fair in its representation of social-cultural diversity. It opened my mind up more to the Russian culture. The book taught me new vocabulary words to use when describing the Russian culture to others if needed. I love the way book showed many things about the way eat, celebrate, family traditions, and so much more throughout four generations. I also love how the book showed how these things can change throughout the years of each generation, yet they somehow hold on to some of the traditions. The quilt that was made by the great grandmother was a huge asset to the story to show how they held on to what was most important to them which was their original home in Russia. To me, the quilt was a way of them bringing Russia with them to America. I would definitely recommend reading this story over and over to children to, because I guarantee that each time will open the door to a different point of view and it will eventually help a child to understand and appreciate diversity.
I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very fair in its representation of social-cultural diversity. It opened my mind up more to the Russian culture. The book taught me new vocabulary words to use when describing the Russian culture to others if needed. I love the way book showed many things about the way eat, celebrate, family traditions, and so much more throughout four generations. I also love how the book showed how these things can change throughout the years of each generation, yet they somehow hold on to some of the traditions. The quilt that was made by the great grandmother was a huge asset to the story to show how they held on to what was most important to them which was their original home in Russia. To me, the quilt was a way of them bringing Russia with them to America. I would definitely recommend reading this story over and over to children to, because I guarantee that each time will open the door to a different point of view and it will eventually help a child to understand and appreciate diversity.
November 26, 2016
'The Keeping Quilt' by Patricia Polacco is very different from the other books I reviewed. This story is about a family tradition with quilt making. This Russian family created a quilt with all their keepsakes to pass down from generation to generation. The family members used many different items that had important value to them to create the quilt. This quilt was used during many celebrations in the family as a tradition.
This story is fictionalized family history because we learn about this Russian family's tradition of quilt making and celebrating. I think this book was written to celebrate the culture and to celebrate the traditions family's hold dear to them. The illustrations were extremely important becasue the pictures were drawn in ink, yet the only colored aspect was the quilt. This emphasizes the importance of the quilt to the family, the traditions and the memories the quilt holds. I loved reading about this different culture becasue it is so different from mine.
This story is fictionalized family history because we learn about this Russian family's tradition of quilt making and celebrating. I think this book was written to celebrate the culture and to celebrate the traditions family's hold dear to them. The illustrations were extremely important becasue the pictures were drawn in ink, yet the only colored aspect was the quilt. This emphasizes the importance of the quilt to the family, the traditions and the memories the quilt holds. I loved reading about this different culture becasue it is so different from mine.
Want to read
November 25, 2016"The Keeping Quilt" is a historical picture book about a families adjustment to moving from a foreign country to America. Anna came from Russia with her family to live a new and different life away from their past. Feeling out of place and missing home, Anna and her family make a quilt from various pieces of clothing from each member of the family. When the quilt was finished, a new family tradition started. From then on out, every mother would pass down this quilt to their daughters, experiencing different events throughout each generation. On each page, the author and illustrator takes you through each event. Every drawing is in black and white with the only thing being colored is the quilt. This highlights the importance and happiness that simple family traditions can provide, even when you are far away from home.
August 15, 2019
The Keeping Quilt is a tale of immigration. It's a story of Jewish tradition and family tradition alike. It's an origin and an evolution, showing the progress of time and fashion and work, and all that stays the same throughout: growing, love, birth and death.
As one of Patricia Polacco's earliest works, The Keeping Quilt is sparse in both narrative and illustration. It feels as a 'family story' would, told and retold, passed down through generations along with the heirloom to which the story belongs. It's like hand-touched memories, faded of their color but not their value.
As one of Patricia Polacco's earliest works, The Keeping Quilt is sparse in both narrative and illustration. It feels as a 'family story' would, told and retold, passed down through generations along with the heirloom to which the story belongs. It's like hand-touched memories, faded of their color but not their value.
May 7, 2008
Love it, love it, love it! This is Patricia Polacco's story of her family's "keeping quilt" passed from generation to generation. An absolute treasure.
April 20, 2021
This is such a special picture book, and clearly a very personal one for Patricia Polacco. I love her illustrations in all her books, but in this one she uses pencil-gray to contrast with the bright colors of the quilt so effectively. The illustrations are incredibly evocative of black and white photos, and they're detailed and warm even before you take into account the pops of color. You can track the colors of the quilt from their first life as a dress and babushka worn by her great-great-grandmother, all the way through their second (and ongoing) life as part of the family's passed-down quilt. I think this would be a really interesting lap-read with a child and there are so many things to talk about! The weddings, the generations, the clothing, your own family traditions, how you celebrate and the bits of family you bring with you -- it would be an incredibly fruitful read!
April 14, 2025
The tie to our past is so magnificently portrayed in this. All too many young people are taught to vilify their ancestors or others ancestors, and this shows things they went to provide us with a better life.
October 15, 2023
Yep. It’s that good. Very strong.
April 30, 2017
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco. This is a heartwarming story of a family that immigrates to the United States, but needs a way to keep the family in Russia close at heart. The story starts with Anna’s family comes to New York, the new life they are beginning. Ann’a goes to school and is learning English. As Anna grows she grows out of the dress and babushka, so they decide to use the clothes of other family members in Russia with Anna’s stuff to make a blanket. The blanket holds a piece of their family members, so that they can keep them close and feel their love. The blanket is used for every special occasion and is continuously past down through many generations. This blanket has wrapped every new generation in its warmth, it has become a Huppa to celebrate each marriage, it is even used as a table cloth. This Russian family could never return to Russia so they found a way to keep home close.
The story is about immigration and the adventure that came with traveling to a new country. It is set in a time period where, the ideas of prosperity brought many immigrants to the United States in hope of a better life than they were living. The character is not just a single person, although much of the story talks about Anna, it is more centered on the family and the legacy that is left. It is told through the eyes of the great granddaughter of Anna, and the owner of the quilt. The setting is in New York, where their journey begins.
The illustrations are brilliantly done. They are black and white pencil drawings. There are lines and shadows that are drawn boldly and lines that are thin and elegant. Th details are clearly defined and intricate. The shapes are natural and organic and very realistic. I think color is what sets the illustrations apart from any other book, the illustrator uses color only where the readers f focus needs to be. The illustrator whats the attention on Anna in the beginning, so she is the only thing in color. Her surroundings are black and white and muted. As the story progresses the color is on the quilt and it put the quilt as the focus of the book. The way the story changes from being about a central character, to following through generations with a specific item is cleverly conveyed through the illustration. The illustrations and the text are well blended and fit together beautifully.
The story is about immigration and the adventure that came with traveling to a new country. It is set in a time period where, the ideas of prosperity brought many immigrants to the United States in hope of a better life than they were living. The character is not just a single person, although much of the story talks about Anna, it is more centered on the family and the legacy that is left. It is told through the eyes of the great granddaughter of Anna, and the owner of the quilt. The setting is in New York, where their journey begins.
The illustrations are brilliantly done. They are black and white pencil drawings. There are lines and shadows that are drawn boldly and lines that are thin and elegant. Th details are clearly defined and intricate. The shapes are natural and organic and very realistic. I think color is what sets the illustrations apart from any other book, the illustrator uses color only where the readers f focus needs to be. The illustrator whats the attention on Anna in the beginning, so she is the only thing in color. Her surroundings are black and white and muted. As the story progresses the color is on the quilt and it put the quilt as the focus of the book. The way the story changes from being about a central character, to following through generations with a specific item is cleverly conveyed through the illustration. The illustrations and the text are well blended and fit together beautifully.
October 21, 2017
This book started of with the story of how the author's great grandma came to America. From there, the story went on to tell about her grandmother, her mother, and then her story. Through all the years they had a quilt that her great great grandmother had made. This quilt was passed on through generations for birthdays, weddings, and even a funeral. The quilt carried memories through all the years and kept the story of the great grandmother's first love alive.
This book portrayed the generation of immigrants in the family's lineage. It shows how someone had to endure having nothing when they first arrive to America. Her great grandmother was able to work with what they had and decided to focus on family above all else. This is what keeps immigrants going. Knowing they will have the opportunity to set the stage for the next generation.
This book was interesting to read because of the culture behind it. It made a lot of good points and it made me had to think about the family lineage, like was that the great grandmother or the great great grandmother. I think it's a fun way to introduce family history inside of a classroom. I don't think it'd be very easy to understand for the younger children because it had a lot of text. The words weren't challenging, it was just a bit long and it includes a lot of characters. There really wasn't a problem or a solution, it was just sharing the author's family history. It includes realistic characters throughout the entire book. The illustrations were too bland for my taste. It had some color so that some parts of the drawings could stand out more than others but I like seeing more color in children's books. I don't think it'll catch the children's attention too much and some drawings were only sketches which looked way too realistic. The characters were part of the Jewish culture. The illustrations and the text enhanced their culture by showing their traditions for special occasions and using some of the Jewish vocabulary. The author had family from many parts of the world and therefore wanted to share some of the stories that were told to her.
This book portrayed the generation of immigrants in the family's lineage. It shows how someone had to endure having nothing when they first arrive to America. Her great grandmother was able to work with what they had and decided to focus on family above all else. This is what keeps immigrants going. Knowing they will have the opportunity to set the stage for the next generation.
This book was interesting to read because of the culture behind it. It made a lot of good points and it made me had to think about the family lineage, like was that the great grandmother or the great great grandmother. I think it's a fun way to introduce family history inside of a classroom. I don't think it'd be very easy to understand for the younger children because it had a lot of text. The words weren't challenging, it was just a bit long and it includes a lot of characters. There really wasn't a problem or a solution, it was just sharing the author's family history. It includes realistic characters throughout the entire book. The illustrations were too bland for my taste. It had some color so that some parts of the drawings could stand out more than others but I like seeing more color in children's books. I don't think it'll catch the children's attention too much and some drawings were only sketches which looked way too realistic. The characters were part of the Jewish culture. The illustrations and the text enhanced their culture by showing their traditions for special occasions and using some of the Jewish vocabulary. The author had family from many parts of the world and therefore wanted to share some of the stories that were told to her.
May 30, 2009
A homemade quilt represents a Jewish family who emigrated from Russia to New York more than 100 years ago. The quilt is used to mark special life events such as births, weddings, birthdays, and the passing of elders. The quilt owner is the historian of all the family stories and the quilt serves as visual remembrance of those who came before. The story’s theme teaches of family traditions and the quilt, a very special family heirloom that is handed down through the generations. As each generation becomes more Americanized, the traditions remain the same; yet subtle changes are added by each bride. I enjoyed how each generation shared the same symbolism in their wedding bouquets: gold first meant “for wealth” and changed “to never know poverty”; flowers first meant “for love” and changed “to always know love”; salt so their lives would always have flavor; and bread was latter added “to never know hunger”. The story is also about keeping alive the memories of our ancestors. Recommended for grade level K-3.
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