Paula's patches

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Paula's patches

Title:

Paula's patches

Author:

Aldeman, Gabriella, author.

Mendoza, Rocío Arreola, illustrator.

Summary:

Embarrassed about a hole in her pants, creative and resourceful Paula covers it with a patch, and discovers her classmates also have leaky, stained, and hand-me-down items that could benefit from a colorful patch.

Audience:

Ages 5-9. Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint of Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 cm

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Repairing -- Juvenile fiction.

Pants -- Juvenile fiction.

Creative ability -- Juvenile fiction.

Handicraft for children -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Mendoza, Rocío Arreola,

Publisher:

Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint of Teacher Created Materials, Inc.,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781631987335

Publication Information:

Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint of Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 2023.

Call Number:

P ALDEMAN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003608935	New Picture Books	ALDEMAN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Problem-solver Paula patches her pants--and encourages her class to be resourceful, mend, and reuse.

Oh, no! While at school, Paula's pants catch on a bush that rips a large hole in her pants. She tries everything to hide the hole from her classmates, only to find out that they, too, have leaky lunchboxes, spaghetti stains, and hand-me-down backpacks. Nothing some colorful patches can't fix! Children will follow Paula as she feels embarrassed about her torn pants, curious about patches, and excited for a possible solution that helps both her and her classmates.

Paula's Patches can be used as a starting point for discussions of consumerism, throwaway culture, and fast fashion. At the back of the book, a section provides activities for children, including how to make their own patches, no-sew bookmarks, and fabric pouches.

Author Notes

Gabriella Aldeman is a Panamanian American author. She writes picture books in hopes that more children become readers and that all readers feel seen. She is also a professional translator and holds degrees from Georgetown University and the College of William and Mary.

Gabriella lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her partner and two children.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

A child's worries over torn trousers prompt unexpected creativity in Aldeman's sensitive picture book debut. When Latinx-cued narrator Paula snags one trouser knee en route to school, "I knew I would have to wait for the next batch of hand-me-downs from my cousin." Afraid that schoolmates, portrayed with varying skin tones, will laugh at the tear, Paula covers it during class, props a food tray over it at lunch, and uses a sweater to cover it. As these efforts progress, Paula notices that a classmate's backpack is labeled with another person's name, that a spill stains a friend's favorite shirt, and that another classmate carries a blanket pieced from baby clothes. Remembering that "Mami kept old, worn clothes and fabric scraps" in the closet, Paula problem-solves, creating homemade patches for the pants--and classmates' clothes, too. Mendoza's patterned illustrations lean into a bright palette in this book about "mending, and decorating, and making things our very own." An author's note and three "Fun with Fabric" projects conclude. Ages 5--9. (July)