Mrs. Katz and Tush - By Patricia Polacco

A lonely Jewish lady shares her customs and her heart with a little African-American boy.  "Tush" is an adopted cat, so named because the poor creature has no tail.  This is truly a heartwarming story of friendship and love.  Readers will pick up on a sprinkling of Yiddish, while learning about special celebrations and holidays.  Polacco's watercolor illustrations are just as priceless as her stories.

Thunder Cake - By Patricia Polacco

This is the loving tale of a grandmother who tries to help her young granddaughter let go of a fear of thunderstorms.  As in most Patricia Polacco books, the reader is introduced to a few Russian words sprinkled within the text.  The illustrations are colorfully painted in, except for the faces of people, which always remain looking like sketches.  This is such a sweet book to read to any child who might be slightly frightened by thunder and lightening.

Rechenka's Eggs - By Patricia Polacco

This is the beautiful story of Babushka, an elderly lady living near the town of Moskva, who one day finds a goose that has been shot by hunters.  Babushka takes care of the goose until it is better, and Rechenka repays her with something wonderful.  Some Russian words are included, increasing the reader's foreign vocabulary.  Everything in the illustrations is bright and colorful except for the faces of the people, which always remain pencil sketched and not filled in.