"There is such sweetness inside of that book too!" he said thoughtfully. "Such things...adventure, knowledge and wisdom. But these things do not come easily. You have to pursue them. Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book! — Patricia Polacco (The Bee Tree) Patricia Polacco A Partner Author Study By: Caroline Huber, Erin Fox, Amber Spivey, Taryn Griffin

Patricia Polacco was born in Lansing, Michigan in Born to parents of Russian and Ukrainian descent on one side and Irish on the other, Polacco’s works are greatly influenced by her heritage. Polacco grew up in both California and Michigan. Her school year was spent in Oakland, California, and summers in her beloved Michigan. After living in Oakland, California for almost 37 years, Polacco moved back to, and now resides in Union City.

Polacco uses the stories she learned from her family as inspiration for the tales she tells in her books. She also draws on the rich cultural traditions she learned from both sides of her family. While many of her books explore Eastern-European roots, such as Thunder Cake, others, such as My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, showcase aspects of her Irish heritage.

Inspiration Polacco describes her family as marvelous storytellers: "My fondest memories are of sitting around a stove or open fire, eating apples and popping corn while listening to the old ones tell glorious stories about their homeland and the past. We are tenacious traditionalists and sentimentalists.... With each retelling our stories gain a little more Umph!"

D ysle xia Polacco struggled with reading as child. She didn’t learn to read until she was almost 14 years old! It was not until then she finally learned that she was dyslexic, with the help of one of her favorite school teacher’s who she dedicated a book to, titled Thank You Mr. Falker. She was afraid to read in front of other people but not to show them her drawings. "So when I would draw, that's when kids would get out of their seats and stand behind me and go, 'Wow, you can really draw.'"

Polacco didn’t start writing children's books until she was almost 41 years old. She claims her artwork has always been present, but she lacked the courage to put words to paper. She attributes her artwork as a “symptom of her disability”.

Now she is the mother of two grown children, and she still splits her time between California and Michigan. She also travels to schools and libraries, sharing her stories with children all over the country…

Polacco’s advice is always the same when she talks with children. Turn off the T.V. and LISTEN...LISTEN...LISTEN.

Books She’s Written The Keeping Quilt, Casey at the Bat, Rechenka's Eggs, Meteor!, Uncle Vova's Tree, Just Plain Fancy, Boat Ride With Lillian Two Blossom, Thunder Cake, Mrs. Katz and Tush, Chicken Sunday, Some Birthday!, Appelemando's Dreams, Tikvah Means Hope, Babushka Baba Yaga, The Bee Tree, Picnic at Mudsock Meadow, Pink and Say, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, My Ol' Man, Babushka's Doll, The Trees of the Dancing Goats, I Can Hear the Sun: A Modern Myth, Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair, Babushka's Mother Goose, Luba and the Wren, Welcome Comfort, Thank You Mr. Falker, In Enzo's Splendid Gardens, Mr. Lincoln's Way, Betty Doll, The Butterfly, Mrs. Mack, The Graves Family, "G" is for Goat, Christmas Tapestry, When Lightning Comes in a Jar, Oh Look!, John Philip Duck, An Orange for Frankie, Mommies Say Shhh!, Soemthing About Hensley's, Rotten Ritchie and the Ultimate Dare, Emma Kate, The Graves Family Goes Camping, Someone for Mr. Sussman, For the Love of Autumn, The Lemonade Club, Ginger and Petunia, January's Sparrow, In Our Mother's House

Awards Received Sydney Taylor Book Award, International Reading Association Award, Santa Clara Reading Council Author’s Hall of Fame, Commonwealth Club of California Recognition of Excellence, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award for Illustration, Boston Area Educators for Social Responsibility Children’s Literature and Social Responsibility Award, Jane Adams Peace Asoc. and Women’s Intl. League for Peace and Freedom Honor award to Mrs. Katz and Tush for it’s effective contribution to peace and social justice, Parent’s Choice Honors, North Dakota Library Association Children’s Book Award, Jo Osborne Award For Humor in Children’s Literature, Missouri Association of School Librarians Show Me Readers Award, West Virginia Children’s Book Award, South Independent Booksellers for Children Humpty Dumpty Award.