After spending the summer with her artist grandmother, Trisha knows she wants to be an artist, too. She's thrilled when her sketches get her into Miss Chew's special art class at the high school. A substitute teacher tells her she's wasting time on art when she should be studying - but fortunately, this is one battle that Miss Chew and Trisha are up for!

This true story shows just how important a teacher can be in a child's life - and celebrates the power of art itself.
Patricia Polacco is the beloved New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than sixty picture books, including Chicken Sunday, Pink and Say, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She lives in Union City, Michigan, where she enjoys speaking to the myriad of children who come to visit her and the famous meteor, the object of one of Patricia’s best-known stories. You can visit Patricia Polacco at PatriciaPolacco.com. View titles by Patricia Polacco
"The joy of artistic creation and the value of teachers who are willing to look outside the box come through clearly in the first-person narrative and Polacco's fluid illustrations." — Publishers Weekly

"Full of color and movement. . . . [Polacco's] first-person narration tells her tragedy and triumph in a very down-to-earth way, using the tone of the 11-year-old she was." — Kirkus Reviews

"The moving memoir will resonate with any student who has struggled with reading and should also spark empathy among their classmates." — Booklist

"Heartwarming tribute. . . . Detailed representational paintings bring to life scenes that evoke both true sorrow and absolute joy." — School Library Journal

"In this heartfelt autobiographical picture book, Patricia Polacco pays tribute to her first art teacher, Miss Violet Chew." — Library Media Connection

About

After spending the summer with her artist grandmother, Trisha knows she wants to be an artist, too. She's thrilled when her sketches get her into Miss Chew's special art class at the high school. A substitute teacher tells her she's wasting time on art when she should be studying - but fortunately, this is one battle that Miss Chew and Trisha are up for!

This true story shows just how important a teacher can be in a child's life - and celebrates the power of art itself.

Author

Patricia Polacco is the beloved New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than sixty picture books, including Chicken Sunday, Pink and Say, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She lives in Union City, Michigan, where she enjoys speaking to the myriad of children who come to visit her and the famous meteor, the object of one of Patricia’s best-known stories. You can visit Patricia Polacco at PatriciaPolacco.com. View titles by Patricia Polacco

Praise

"The joy of artistic creation and the value of teachers who are willing to look outside the box come through clearly in the first-person narrative and Polacco's fluid illustrations." — Publishers Weekly

"Full of color and movement. . . . [Polacco's] first-person narration tells her tragedy and triumph in a very down-to-earth way, using the tone of the 11-year-old she was." — Kirkus Reviews

"The moving memoir will resonate with any student who has struggled with reading and should also spark empathy among their classmates." — Booklist

"Heartwarming tribute. . . . Detailed representational paintings bring to life scenes that evoke both true sorrow and absolute joy." — School Library Journal

"In this heartfelt autobiographical picture book, Patricia Polacco pays tribute to her first art teacher, Miss Violet Chew." — Library Media Connection

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