Poppy's Family Patterns

by Lauren Semmer

Discover the magic of patterns and the power of fixing things in this heartwarming children's book. Written and illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Lauren Semmer, this book shows that each pattern is unique, but together they can be magical—just like families!Poppy is sad when her toy bunny’s dress rips. Now she’ll have to throw it away! But her mom has other ideas. She shows Poppy the trunk in her sewing room, and it’s full of fabric scraps!     There are so many patterns—dots and stripes, checkers and chevron. Each scrap has its own story. Fabric from Granddad’s tie, Nana’s dress, and her auntie’s scarf come together with Mom’s sewing machine to make something special—just like their family!     New York Times bestselling illustrator Lauren Semmer weaves an introduction to patterns in this heartwarming story of family history and traditions.

Genres: Picture Books, African American

40 pages, Hardcover

Published June 18, 2024

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With visually appealing illustrations created with digital collage and Procreate, this unique picture book [3.5 for me!] may prompt some youngsters to follow the example set by Poppy and her clever mother. When Poppy accidentally tears her doll's dress, she is ready to throw the garment away. But her mother offers an alternative, opening up a treasure chest of small pieces of fabric gleaned from clothing worn by members of their family. As she shares these scraps with her daughter, she identifies each pattern while also explaining their significance. Then, she sews them all together, completing a multicolored dress with an array of fabrics and patterns. And to Poppy's delight, there's one just like hers for her doll. This story reminds me of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" and the Biblical story about Joseph's splendid coat. My favorite illustration is the double-page spread displaying that beautiful new dress with Poppy bemeaning from within its folds.

[createitlibrarian (Amanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about a girl, her mom, and the pattern scraps from her family.

I loved the pictures, but I did want a little more to the story. In regard to children listening to the story, I feel like they may want the lens of the story on the girl a little more than than the mom. Maybe to girl could have been more involved in solving a problem and even collecting her own fabric. Of course the story and the book are already published and I'll be sharing this in an art storytime this summer and talk about patterns. This book may also be great for introducing a Stuffed Animal Sleepover event!

Entry points:
Family, art, all-about-me, sewing, stuffed animals

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and wonderful values make this a unique book. Poppy rips her Bunny's dress and is sad that it is ruined. Her Mom shows her a fabric box. Each bit of fabric has a story and is a treasured memory of a family member. This sort of remembering people from tactile bits of their dearest possessions is a valuable way to remember family history and this book might start young readers being interested in family history through actually scrapbooking with fabric scraps. Exquisitely illustrated and beautifully told.

[April M Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to YABC and Lauren Semmer for a copy of Poppy's Family Patterns.
I love the colorful graphics in this story. I thought Poppy's Family Patterns was so unique and creative. I don't remember seeing a children's book with this topic before.
Poppy's favorite toy bunny's dress tears and Poppy is afraid she will have to throw away her bunny. Poppy's mom offers to make Bunny a new dress and shows Poppy her colorful stash of fabric swatches gathered from meaningful family garments. I liked the way the mom explained each swatch to Poppy.
Very creative, colorful sweet story.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semmer tells the story of a young girl Poppy and her mother working together to repair her toy bubby's dress. Each scrap has a connection to a story about a family member. Semmer also introduces the young readers to the actual names of different fabric patterns (paisley, chevron, plaid, etc.) as they read the story. Semmer includes a pattern library at the end and concludes with an insightful author's note. It is beautifully illustrated as the different fabrics come together to form a gorgeous dress for Poppy and her bunny.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

In POPPY’S FAMILY PATTERNS, when Poppy’s beloved stuffed bunny tears, her mom saves the day by fashioning a new dress for bunny—and one for Poppy, too—from scraps from her fabric box. Mom shares a story as she selects each scrap, explaining to Poppy how each piece represents a special moment or person from their family. Positive messages about the value of family history and of reusing materials are accompanied by vibrant collage-style illustrations in this warm story of love and memories.

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi library PJ story time 11-27-2024