Yet another rich picture book by Polacco filled with themes of family tradition and strong cultural influence. The story evokes the emotions in a reader that create a strong reaction and the feelings make one contemplate the memories of their own family tree. The "Keeping Quilt" reminds me of the patchwork teddy bears that my grandma made out of my grandpa's old shirts after he died. She made one for me and all of my cousins. Perhaps someday, someone will use my old clothing to make something that can be shared with the family I will never know. Memories need to be passed on, quilts and stuffed animals can hold be way to keep the memories alive.
The text flows beautifully from page-to-page. It tells the story of a quilt made of the clothing of relatives past, which has been passed through the generations and is currently in the care of Polacco's own children. The story speaks of the possession of the quilt, how it was made by the elders of Great-Gramma Anna's generation when their family had just moved to America. Then, how it was used, as a tablecloth before the Sabbath, as a huppa at the weddings of the girls of four generations, as a cape or a tent when children played, as a picnic blanket, to wrap a new baby in . . . When each young girl became old and then died the family mourned, but the quilt was still passed onto the next generation.
The color in The Keeping Quilt is again (like Emma Kate by Polacco), focused on contrast. The pencil drawing illustrations are all black and white, except the QUILT which appears on every page in all of it's colorful glory. The characters on the pages reflect the emotions of the story, weeping over the death of a loved one, or rejoicing with the happiness of welcoming a newborn into the world. It is really neat that Polacco chose to depict her own family in the book, it gives more than a glimpse into the life of an amazing author and woman.
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