Back to Book List

Patricia Polacco Picture Books

By Patricia Polacco
Picture Books
Review:

Patricia Polacco is the well known author of dozens of uplifting and educational picture books, many exploring different cultures or time periods. While most of her picture books that we have reviewed contain no inappropriate content, I personally found some of them to be less engaging, and they may be a little too long for younger children or more reluctant readers.

Our favorite books by Patricia Polacco: Palace of Books, Holes in the Sky, Mrs. Katz and Tush, The Trees of the Dancing Goats, John Philip Duck, The Christmas Tapestry, Rechenka’s Eggs

Books that have no inappropriate content but weren’t as engaging: Gifts of the Heart (note: this one teaches that Santa Claus is real), Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair (note: this one briefly mentions a soothsayer), Thunder Cake

Books that didn’t make the booklist: The Keeping Quilt

(Reviewed by Kate Phillips)

The Good and the Beautiful Library No
  • 3.5 Entertainment Value
  • 4 Moral Value
  • 4 Educational Value
  • 4 Literary Value
Rating System

Create an Account

Create an account and you’ll be able to save books to your booklist for download and view not-recommended book lists.

Rating System

  • 5Best
  • 4Excellent
  • 3Great
  • 2Good
  • 1Satisfactory

Entertainment Value

All books on our list are chosen to be engaging, but books that rank high in entertainment value may be more appealing to reluctant readers and/or those who are new to good and beautiful books.

Moral Value

All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are deemed appropriate and wholesome, but some books have more emphasis on moral principles than others. A lower rating for moral value does not mean the book is inappropriate; it only means that moral values are not as highly emphasized.

Educational Value

Although all books on this list have educational value in the sense of increasing vocabulary and other important skills, the educational value scale is based on how well the book helps the reader gain knowledge about historical time periods, cultures, geography, science, etc.

Literary Value

Books that score high in literary value include exceptional writing, use of literary devices, and a rich vocabulary. All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are well-written, but some have a higher literary value than others.

Are you sure you want to clear your book list?

Yes, Clear

No, Keep