The Patchwork Quilt

Absolutely lovely story. Ok, based on my experience making three quilts like that myself, it's not completely realistic, but it's [T]rue, and that is what matters.

Grandma is making a patchwork quilt from bits and pieces of fabric snipped from discarded old clothing and leftover material from sewn special occasion items. Tanya is curious as to what Grandma is doing and Mama just sees a mess. When Grandma becomes ill, Tanya takes over. She understands why Grandma makes the quilt from bits and pieces of her family's clothing. Mama and Tanya's brothers help out a bit as they see how hard she works to complete the quilt for Grandma. The surprise comes at the end when Tanya realizes something is missing from the patchwork quilt and when the quilt is finally finished.

Lovingly written about the concept of family and how it used to be recorded, "in the olden days" before everyone could read and write. show more Also about the necessity of creating something from discarded materials, letting nothing go to waste, and reusing items to save money and provide for the family. Memories are made from loving hands.

My students listened to this story and had great questions. I found that they still understand the concept of creating an heirloom and putting pieces of themselves into a family history. I adore books such as these because my students need to understand that just because something CAN be bought doesn't mean it SHOULD be bought. show less

The Patchwork Quilt is such a beautiful story about the importance of family and traditions. I remember reading this book when I was younger; but now as an adult, it really touched my heart. Flournoy writes of a little girl named, Tanya, and how every day she admires the quilt her grandmother is making. As her grandmother falls ill, Tanya takes it upon herself to finish the quilt. She quickly begins to realize that each fragment of the quilt isn't just a worn piece of fabric, but instead represents an event or memory in her families life. Jerry Pinkney's illustrations, winning a Coretta Scott King Award, captures the emotions from the words on each page. They visually represent the story in such a lovely way.
Although this book would be show more great to read to young children, I think it resonates with people of all ages. I was very close with both of my grandmothers, and many of the traditions my family keeps up today started with them.
It's truly an endearing and heartwarming story about the importance of family and the memories that bind us together. show less

This loving story is about a young girl named Tanya who loves to listen to her grandmother talk about the quilt she is making from different pieces of colorful fabric from the families clothing. Suddenly Tanya' grandma becomes ill and she decides to finish the quilt herself with the help of her family. I enjoyed this book because of the meaning behind the patchwork quilt. The quilt represents each person and the important events in their lives that brings them together. The watercolor illustrations are are easy on the eye and the text is easy to follow. This book is suitable for grades kinder through second grade and can be used to teach students about writing a short story about a tradition they have in their family. This activity can show more also teach about similarities and differences each student has. show less

A grandmother works on a patchwork quilt with the help of her granddaughter. When the grandmother gets sick, the granddaughter works tirelessly to finish the quilt. The grandmother gets better and the family appreciates the quilt together. This book is so heart-felt and sweet. There is a wonderful story arc full of suspense. For a moment, it seems like the grandmother won't survive her illness. When she finally does pull through it makes the moment of family coming together that much sweeter. They all appreciate the moments they have shared more after having almost lost a loved one.

There are many reasons I enjoyed “The Patchwork Quilt” by Valerie Flournoy. First, the author used language that successfully depicted the difficulty of the task of making the quilt: “Tanya snipped and trimmed the scraps of material till her hands hurts from the scissors. Mama watched her carefully, making sure the squares were all the same size. The next day was the same as the last. More snipping and cutting”. Second, the book had a powerful message of the importance of carrying on family traditions. Although Tanya hardly knew how to make the quilt, she persevered to finish the task in order to honor her grandmother. Third, I really enjoyed the dialogue between the grandmother and Tanya. This addition of the book served to show more make the plot more interesting and the characters more realistic. show less

This was favourite book as a child, and finding it again now it has not disappointed me. A beautifully written book, lovely illustrations, and a great story