The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco is a beautiful story, a kind story, a courageous and true story.

It all starts in the wonderful fifth-grade classroom of Miss Wichelman.  It is a place where much learning goes on in an atmosphere of love.  It is a place where hugs are available and stuffed animals reside along with a hamster, a rocking chair and student creative work posted everywhere.  A basket of lemons sets on Miss Wichelman’s desk and at the end of each day she asks, if you get a lemon handed to you by life and you add water and sugar, what do you get?  And of course the students shout, “Lemonade!”

The Lemonade Club is a story of friendship between Marilyn, her classmate Traci, Miss Wichelman and the whole class.  As the story proceeds and Marilyn is about to return to school, the teacher warns the class that she will be wearing a head scarf as she has lost all her hair due to chemotherapy.  The class plans a big surprise for Marilyn when she returns, which I will not totally reveal in this review.  However, I can say this, on the day of Marilyn’s return, every member of the class is wearing a hat.

Defining Feature: The illustrations are beautifully drawn and colored with markers, acrylic paint and pencil.  Polacco’s illustrations enrich the text and validate the feelings cradled in this true story---a story which actually happened to Polacco’s daughter Traci and her friend Marilyn.

The Lemonade Club written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco is ideal for children 4-8 years of age (published by Philomel, September 20, 2007).

Discussion questions for The Lemonade Club

The Bossy Gallito—El Gallo de Bodas:  A Traditional Cuban Folktale has been given a Pura Belpré Medal for both the rich, narrative retelling by Lucía González and beautiful illustrations by Lulu Delacre that celebrate the Latino cultural experience.  Written in the cumulative style of The House that Jack Built, the story revolves around a bossy little gallito or rooster who is frustrated at his inability to command either the water, fire, stick, goat, or grass to wash off his beak so that he can continue on his journey to the wedding of his Tío, or uncle, Perico.  It is only the sun who is willing to assist him, and this is because the gallito sings every morning to wake him up.  Interestingly, the sun’s help comes in a polite and mannerly way, not dependent on the bossiness that had failed the rooster in his earlier requests.  Young listeners from preschool through second grade will find much to consider in determining the real moral or lesson to be learned from this story.

The illustrations in The Bossy Gallito are enchanting, and Lulu Delacre explains her selection of particular settings and characters included based on her knowledge of the Cuban area in Miami, Florida.  Lucía González also explains the background of this traditional folktale and provides a Glossary to define Spanish words used in the story.  These additional pieces of information can assist teachers and other adults to better explain the story to young listeners and can also be helpful to young English- or Spanish-speaking readers in second through fourth grade who decide to read The Bossy Gallito for themselves.

The Bossy Gallito—El Gallo de Bodas:  A Traditional Cuban Folktale.  Retold by Lucía M. González.  Illus. Lulu Delacre.  New York:  Scholastic, 1994.

Discussion questions for The Bossy Gallito-El Gallo de Bodas: A Traditional Cuban Folktale