Paula’s Patches

A child’s worries over torn trousers prompt unexpected creativity in Aldeman’s sensitive picture book debut. When Latinx-cued narrator Paula snags one trouser knee en route to school, “I knew I would have to wait for the next batch of hand-me-downs from my cousin.” Afraid that schoolmates, portrayed with varying skin tones, will laugh at the tear, Paula covers it during class, props a food tray over it at lunch, and uses a sweater to cover it. As these efforts progress, Paula notices that a classmate’s backpack is labeled with another person’s name, that a spill stains a friend’s favorite shirt, and that another classmate carries a blanket pieced from baby clothes. Remembering that “Mami kept old, worn clothes and fabric scraps” in the closet, Paula problem-solves, creating homemade patches for the pants—and classmates’ clothes, too. Mendoza’s patterned illustrations lean into a bright palette in this book about “mending, and decorating, and making things our very own.” An author’s note and three “Fun with Fabric” projects conclude. Ages 5–9. (July)