My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother was written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. This is a story about a brother, Richard, and sister, Patricia, who are in constant competition. The younger sister Patricia is always trying to find ways that she can out do her brother in at least one thing. One day Patricia thinks that she has finally found that thing. They are picking rhubarb and Richard claims he does not like rhubarb. This is Patricia’s chance to finally be better at something than her brother. They begin having a rhubarb eating contest. Patricia has to stop eating the rhubarb and to her amazement Richard is still eating them! After Richard has beat her once again, he claims he does not like rhubarb, he LOVES them.
That night Patricia sees a shooting star. She decides to make a wish. Her wish, of course, was to be able to outdo her brother in something, anything at all. So, the next day when they are at the carnival Richard and Patricia see a merry-go-round. Patricia challenges Richard to a competition of who can rid it the longest. As they go around and around and around, Patricia sees Richard starting to get off. Just then she thinks I have finally out done you in something and the next thing she knows she is at home laying down. When she passed out because she was so dizzy from riding the merry-go-round, Richard carried her all the way home. Patricia finally did something to outdo her brother but he still helped her when she needed it. From then on their relationship had changed forever.
Many things about this book are true of the author's childhood. Particia Barber was her maiden name and she did have an older brother by the name of Richard. Patricia and her brother did grow up on their grandparents farm in Union City, MI. At the begining and end pages of the book we see real photographs of the two of them together throughout the years
Polacco uses marking pens and pencils to create the illustrations in My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. The illustrations appear to be slightly childlike which infers to the reader that the art work is naïve art. Naïve art is semi-realistic and although it appears to be slightly childlike that is not due to poor or no training of the illustrator. The illustrator in fact has a lot of training and chooses this drawing style. This kind of drawing is used to provide a simplistic look and a different feeling than other kinds of illustrations. It also shows the illustrators intense emotions and visions.
The use of text and illustrations work well together. For the second picture displayed below (set on the white background), we see Richard in several different positions on the page. In the physical book, the text is used in combination with these images and placed in different areas on the page. For this page especially, we can see the illustrations as an extension of the text.
There are many intense colors used in each illustration. The different colors make the drawing much more interesting and intriguing to look at. All the varities of colors make the reader want to look at the pictures just as much as the text.
This illustration is set on a white background with drawings of Richard all over the page. This makes for an interesting read when the illustrations are different throughout the book. Some use a lot of variations of colors and some use very little color. I think Polacco chose to do the illustrations with the use of white space to help emphasize the important parts of the illustration. As readers looking at the picture of Patricia we know that she is outside because of how the page previously bleeds onto this one as well as the trees in the background. She chooses though to not color the sky blue or put anymore illustration into the sky. This is seen in many different pictures throughout the book. I think this is her way of choosing to emphasize the important parts of the illustrations. In the picture of Patricia we know that the emphasize in this picture is on her face and not the background. The book also uses full bleeds which extend over through the gutter and onto the next page. The book is also made up of mostly double page spreads. There is only one page that does not have a double page spread and that is the last page.
To see an interview with Polacco about her childhood as well as about her writing and illustrations, please visit http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/polacco
To see a readers theater version of My Redheaded Older Brother, visit this link http://www.storylineonline.net/
Citation
Polacco, Patricia. My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. Illus. Patricia Polacco. New York City: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1994.
References
Patricia Polacco. http://www.patriciapolacco.com/books/rrob/rrob_index.html