John Philip Duck

Patricia Polacco was born in Lansing, Michigan, in 1944. She spent her early childhood on her grandparents’ farm in Union City, Michigan, a time she describes as magical and deeply influential, especially her relationship with her grandmother, her “Babushka.” Her parents divorced when she was three, leading her to split her time between her mother’s home in Michigan and her father’s, with her grandparents playing a significant role in both households. These early relationships with her grandparents profoundly shaped her life and work, often featuring young characters interacting with the elderly in her books.

The family left the farm in 1949, moving to Coral Gables, Florida, for nearly three years before settling in Oakland, California. Patricia lived in Oakland for most of her youth and adulthood, residing in the diverse Rockridge District. She experienced significant challenges in school due to dyslexia, a learning disability she wasn’t diagnosed with until age fourteen. Despite these early struggles with reading and math, she eventually received the help she needed to succeed. She learned that being learning disabled means learning differently, not being unintelligent, and believes many learning-disabled children are geniuses.

Patricia went on to attend university, earning a Ph.D. in Art History. She worked as a museum consultant specializing in the restoration of ancient art. Later, she became a mother to two children, Steven and Traci, dedicating much of her time to their upbringing.

She began writing children’s books at the age of 41. Her artistic talent, a potential manifestation of her dyslexia, had been present throughout her life in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Her writing career emerged from a family tradition of powerful storytelling, with her mother’s family hailing from Ukraine and Russia, and her father’s from Ireland. Growing up hearing stories, rather than seeing them, honed her own storytelling abilities. She attributes her fertile imagination, and thus her writing, partly to growing up without a television, emphasizing the importance of listening to one’s inner voice.

Patricia Polacco has traveled extensively, particularly in Russia and former Soviet republics, participating in writer and illustrator exchange programs. She continues to advocate for Russo-American understanding and supports inner-city initiatives focused on conflict resolution, art, and literacy.

Now residing in Union City, Michigan, on a historic farm, she plans to open her home and community to host writing seminars, storytelling festivals, and other events celebrating children’s literature. She has earned an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in art history, with specializations in Russian and Greek painting and iconographic history. She is the mother of a grown son and daughter.

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