Emma+Kate

Polacco, P. (2005). //Emma kate.// New York, NY: Puffin Books.

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 * Summary:** Told from the point of view of a vibrant young girl, //Emma Kate//, is the story of two best friends who do, quite literally, everything together. Through the illustrations, the reader can tell that Emma Kate is an elephant and the narrator's imaginary friend.
 * Grade Level:** K-2
 * Reading Level:** 2


 * Curriculum Connection:** When teaching writing, this would be a great resource for discussing how illustrations can add meaning to a story**.** Read the story to students without showing them the illustrations and discuss what they think the story is about, then re-read while showing students the illustrations**.** How did the meaning of the story change when they were able to see the pictures? Did the illustrations influence this meaning? //Emma Kate// provides a great platform for discussing how important illustrations can be to stories.

Polacco's artwork is as strong as ever in a warm story that celebrates imaginary friends. The young, pigtailed narrator introduces Emma Kate, a handsome gray elephant. We do just about everything together! says the girl, and, indeed, the following spreads show the friends walking to school, swinging at recess, and reading and dreaming together. When the girl tells her parents about the fun she has with Emma Kate, they respond, You have such an imagination, indicating that the elephant is imaginary. But in Polacco's expertly rendered, energetic graphite drawings, Emma Kate is such a solid presence that children, particularly those with imaginary friends, will feel that even if Emma Kate is imagined, the friendship is real. Familiar scenes at school and home extend the story's comforting tone, and the few bright spots of paint, which stand out strongly against the black-and-white drawings (the girl's red dress is a constant focal point), reinforce the delicious sense of two worlds overlapping. --Gillian Engberg
 * Booklist Review 2005: (from Mackin)**