Mrs. Katz and Tush

Polacco, P (1992).  Mrs. katz and tush.  New York: Dell Publishing

Mrs. Katz and Tush is in the Multicultural genre category because the characters are very diverse.   Mrs. Katz is an elderly, Jewish woman who celebrates Hannukah and Passover.  On the other hand, another main character in the story is Larnel.  He is an African American boy.

To sum up this story, Mrs. Katz lost her husband and she is feeling really alone.  Larnel is her next door neighbor who is feeling sorry for her, so he gives her a gift for comfort.  They become good friends and take many adventures including learning the meanings of their religious beliefs.  You’ll have to read the book to find out how it ends.

One thing I really loved about this book is its theme.  Mrs. Katz and Larnel created such a wonderful friendship because of their agony and accomplishments in each of their cultures.  I really enjoyed when she was teaching Larnel about Passover and she said, “They wanted freedom so much that they prayed to God to help them.  So he sent an angel that brought death and sadness to the houses of our captors.  Larnel asked “How did the angel know where the Jews lived?”  She replied, “They marked the doors. Then the angels passed over.  Passed over, Larnel, that’s why we call this time of celebration Passover!”

Polacco also did an excellent job with characterization throughout this story including personality and relationships.  Through the dialogue between Larnel and Mrs. Katz, you can tell that they have a great friendship.  For example, “Larnel kept his promise.  He visited Mrs. Katz and Tush every day after school.”  “There was always a fresh-baked kugel and a tall glass of milking waiting for him.”  This tells me that they really cared for each other because he could have chosen to spend his time with friends his own age, and she didn’t have to bake a kugel for him everyday.