The Keeping Quilt

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 show more 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. show less

This is a wonderful book anyone can find joy or something in which to marvel. As a child I loved the patterns and bright colors drawing your eyes to the quilt, but as an adult I was able to appreciate the changes in family tradition as the quilt was handed down. Successive generations began their married lives under the quilt, wrapped their newborns, and repaired the quilt while elders lives ended with its familiar weight. I enjoyed the subtlety with which the author illustrated changing gender norms in Jewish marriage ceremonies and marveled at the movement in her figures. Such a lovely way to see the love of later family members in making a new quilt, traditions being passed on, and stories continuing through many generations. Highly show more recommend! show less

Librarything needs to add emojis!! I want to use the crying face to describe my feelings right now! Polacco has a way with tugging at my heartstrings, especially with the closing line of this book. The Keeping Quilt shows the value and sentiment in having rich family traditions. She even illustrates everything, besides the quilt, in black and white to highlight the significance the quilt has to her and her family. My family has recently grown as my sisters have started having kids, so this inspires me to look for ways to embed traditions into our own family. Traditions, like the growing quilt, that will be passed on and part of multiple milestones and celebrations connecting many, many generations.

Reading this as a mother of young children and a granddaughter who recently lost her own grandmother, I was emotional thinking of the ways we carry the ones we love. What a beautiful sentiment to pass down a quilt that holds such immensely meaningful memories.

A quilt made from scraps of family members' clothing is passed down through many generations, serving as a reminder of the family's heritage even as the world changes around them.
This is a sweet story, rich with culturally specific imagery. The family in the book is jewish, they talk about the Sabbath, huppas, and traditional signs of good luck. I loved how the progression in time is marked by changes at the wedding: one woman wears a suit, one invites gentiles, the great-grandmother's wedding guests are segregated by sex. I found the book very visually appealing. The images are gestural and full of movement. I liked the choice to have only the quilt in color. This book felt like watching home videos of someone's family.

The book is told as a personal narrative of Patricia Polacco's family heirloom & traditions focusing on a handmade quilt. It covers four generations starting back from when they arrived in the United States from Russia. What is unique about this book is that it is colorless except for a red image in the background. As the book goes on the only color marks the central character and the quilt which is made from the scraps of clothing from family. The quilt is then passed from mother to daughter and is seen during traditions like weddings, new births, engagements, and picnics...meaningful events in the history of the family. Readers get to view Russian traditions and how they change through the four generations. The book is particularly show more effective in explaining some of the customs of the Russian-Jewish family: When Great-Grandpa Sasha proposes to Anna, he gives her "a gold coin, a dried flower, and a piece of rock salt ... the gold was for wealth, the flower for love, and the salt so their lives would have flavor." Beautifully done with riveting story line. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked the illustrations that were used. The keeping quilt was the only colorful picture. This was important because it placed an emphasis on the quilt and gave the message that the quilt was very significant to the story and to the author. For example, each page that the quilt was on was dark, but the quilt was in color. A second thing I liked about the book was the point of view in which the story was told. The author was the great granddaughter in this situation and she was very descriptive when explaining the importance of the quilt and how it has been significant to her family over each generation. For instance, the quilt started with Patricia’s great grandmother and is now with her, show more until she passes it down to her daughter. The big idea of this story was the importance of family and carrying out family traditions. The quilt symbolized the connection and love of Patricia’s family. show less