Summary
When Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins the exciting chase, but it’s not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for.
“Polacco has created another charming picture book featuring a child learning from a grandparent in an idyllic pastoral setting … Both the writing and artwork are fresh and inviting.” –School Libr…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780698116962 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0698116968 |
| Author: | Patricia Polacco |
| Publisher: | Putnam Publishing Group,U.S. |
| Imprint: | Putnam Publishing Group,U.S. |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 32 |
| Release Date: | 4 May 1998 |
| Weight: | 130g |
| Dimensions: | 3mm x 203mm x 260mm |
| Audience Age: | 4-8 |
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Patricia Polacco
Patricia Ann Barber was born in Lansing, Michigan, in 1944. She spent her early childhood on her grandparents’ farm in Union City, Michigan, a period she recalls as magical and deeply influential. Her grandparents were inspirational figures who fostered a strong sense of respect and curiosity in her.
Her parents divorced when she was three years old, leading her to spend school years with her mother and summers with her father. This dual upbringing, surrounded by the love of her grandparents on both sides, solidified the importance of intergenerational relationships, a theme that would later become prominent in her writing.
In 1949, her family left the farm. They lived in Coral Gables, Florida, for nearly three years before settling in Oakland, California. Patricia grew up in a diverse neighborhood on Ocean View Drive, where she valued the rich tapestry of cultures and ideas among her neighbors. It was there she met her lifelong best friend, Stewart Grinnell Washington.
Patricia faced significant academic challenges in school, struggling with reading and math. She was not diagnosed with dyslexia until she was fourteen, a revelation that helped her understand her learning differences. With the support of a heroic teacher, she received the help she needed to succeed, realizing that learning differently did not mean being unintelligent.
This realization fueled her academic pursuits. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Art History, specializing in Russian and Greek painting and iconographic history. She worked as a museum consultant, restoring ancient art.
Later in life, Patricia became a mother to two children, Steven and Traci. At the age of 41, she began writing and illustrating children’s books, a path seemingly destined given her background in visual arts and her family’s strong tradition of storytelling. Her family’s roots in Ukraine, Russia, and Ireland, along with her extended family’s storytelling heritage from Louisiana, provided a rich foundation for her narrative skills.
Patricia attributes her fertile imagination to her storytelling upbringing and the absence of a television during her childhood, which encouraged her to listen to her inner voice. She advocates for children and aspiring writers to “listen” to their own inner voices and limit distractions.
Having lived in Oakland, California, for nearly 37 years, Patricia has now returned to Union City, Michigan. She intends to open her home and community for writing seminars, storytelling festivals, and events celebrating children’s literature.
Patricia Polacco has traveled extensively, including Russia and other former Soviet republics, and continues to support programs that foster understanding and promote art and literacy. She is the mother of a grown son and daughter and resides on a historic farm in Michigan.
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