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

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.

Beautifully illustrated in monochromatic pencil sketches. Only color is the fabric of the quilt that shows it in use through 5 generations of Patricia's matriarchal family. This book made me cry - like with a Hallmark card commercial. I loved the continuity of history from one generation to the next. It honestly portrays life and death, birth and old age, and the things in life that stay the same, and those that change with time. A beautiful book.

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.

The Keeping Quilt is a great book that represent culture within a particular Russian family as well as America. As the generations pass, the use of pencil and the use of color is very significant in the story. Also, the words in Russian also give authenticity to the literature. The use of pencil is very symbolic in that all the people drawn in pencil can be erased or forgotten; however, the quilt is like a memoir of the people that have come and gone. The pencil is a good way to express that not only the people. but also the experiences will be carried out by the quilt. The use of color or the lack of color is quite meaningful because only the quilt and the materials used for the quilt is in color. The quilt started out as a dress and show more the babushka as it eventually created an entire quilt. The symbolism of the quilt is signified by the use of color throughout the book. Furthermore, the words such as babushka and wedding huppa allowed readers to understand that there are some words authentic to a specific country or region. Also, it allows reader to see the importance of preserving language within a culture. The Keeping Quilt which starts off with the story of the quilt being passed down from Great-Grandma Anna to Traci and Steven, represents the importance of family, tradition, and culture among all generations. show less

What a beautiful story about immigration and tradition!!! It begins with author's great grandmother Anna who came to America (New York) when she was just a little girl. She learned English in just 6 months, and when she started growing out of her favorite dress she had from her homeland in Russia, her mom decided to make a quilt out of it. Anna's mom also used Anna's scarf she had from her grandmother, her aunt's apron and some other valuable family treasures. Then for generations that gorgeous quilt was used at weddings, to welcome newborns, family gatherings as table cloth, and for all other monumental events in the family. I also liked the wedding tradition to give to bride gold, bread and salt. Gold - for wealth, bread- not to know show more hunger, and salt - to give flavor to their life. Every bride was given this present for good luck and an abundant life. This book is a reminder how important tradition is, and how important it is to honor your relatives and ancestors, to remember your roots. The illustrations for this book are incredible, in black and white except for the colorful quilt. Pictures make this book stand out and take a special place in your memory. show less