Polacco's gouache-and-pencil compositions deftly capture the emotional stages-frustration, pain, elation-of Trisha's journey. Young readers struggling with learning difficulties will identify with Trisha's situation and find reassurance in her success. Polacco's tale is all the more heartfelt because of its personal nature. She begins to blossom and develop all of her talents, including reading. She wanted so badly to learn to read, but letters just looked wiggly and. Falker, trigger a monumental turning point in Trisha's life. Patricia Polacco Trisha thought she was dumb. But finally the encouragement and efforts of a new fifth grade teacher, Mr. Trisha endures the cruel taunts of classmates who call her ""dumb,"" and falls behind in her studies. But when she looks at words and numbers, everything is a jumble. Young Trisha is eager to taste the ""sweetness of knowledge"" that her grandfather has always revered (here symbolized by drizzling honey onto a book and tasting it, which harkens back to Polacco's earlier The Bee Tree). Here Polacco shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia and discovery of reading in an inspiring if slightly formulaic story. Fans of Polacco's (Thundercake Pink and Say) work know well her talent for weaving her colorful family history throughout her picture books.
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