Mrs. Katz and Tush is a wonderful book by Patricia Polacco. It’s part of the Five in a Row (FIAR) Volume 2 book (2nd ed.), which I’m currently using for my second grader. I created this lapbook to correspond perfectly with the activities in the FIAR manual. If you’re looking for lapbook materials to use for Mrs. Katz and Tush, you’re in the right place!

Mrs. Katz and Tush Summary

Mrs. Katz and Tush tells the story of Mrs. Katz, an elderly woman who lives alone after the death of her husband. Her young African-American neighbor, Larnel, visits her regularly, and they develop a special friendship.

He brings her a stray cat as a gift that he hopes will comfort her, and she shares stories of her life and faith with him. The book is a celebration of unlikely friendship and the beauty of neighbors caring for one another. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the FIAR curriculum, I share a basic overview and how and why I like using this curriculum in the post A New Coat for Anna Lapbook.

Rowing Mrs. Katz and Tush for FIAR

We had really great discussions and fun experiences as we rowed the book Mrs. Katz and Tush.

(P.S. rowing means we read the book once a day for five days for this unit study, which is part of how the FIAR curriculum works.) 

Here’s an overview of the different activities, as well as links to any resource I used.

• We visited a local deli that offers Jewish specialties like cheese blintzes, knish, and kugel. We got a small taste of what a typical New York style deli is like, and we really loved the knish and blintzes we tried.

• We made our own kugel at home using the Gluten Free Noodle Kugel recipe from Fearless Dining. This was our first time trying kugel!
• We discussed how we can be good neighbors, and the different ways we’ve offered care and support as various neighbors have faced difficult circumstances like illness and the deaths of loved ones. One of our favorite activities is baking cookies for our neighbors during the holidays .
• We pursued the use of lines and patterns in art using the Line and Pattern Cat tutorial from Deep Space Sparkle.
• I found an inexpensive felt cat craft at the store, so we took some time putting that together. My daughter really enjoyed the sewing part.

• My daughter practiced drawing a realistic-looking cat using the How to Draw a Realistic Cat tutorial from Art for Kids Hub. We love using their tutorials and it’s part of how I keep art simple and easy in our homeschool.

• While cooking noodle kugel is science-related, we tried the Chemistry in Cooking-Yeast experiment in the manual. I had hoped to find Pillsbury Homemade White Bread box mixes at the store; they’re simple and easy. Alas, they didn’t have any (sadness). Instead we used the recipe for Homemade Bread from Tastes Better From Scratch. 

Unfortunately, these loaves didn’t turn out as well as the one from the box. No matter how easy the recipe seems, I don’t make that much bread from scratch. It was still an interesting experiment, however, and the kids said the bread tasted good, even though it wasn’t the prettiest.

I recommend not skipping it if you have time!

Supplemental Books for Mrs. Katz and Tush

You don’t need to read any supplemental books when using FIAR. However, I usually like to read a few extra picture books during the week to further explore topics.

We read these additional picture books:

• Passover Scavenger Hunt by Shanna Silva. 
• The Story of Passover by David A. Adler
• The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman. This unique story describes the difficult journeys many immigrants experienced when coming to America.
• More Than Enough: A Passover Story by April Halprin Wayland
• Poland (Countries We Come From Series) by Meish Goldish

Explore Other Patricia Polacco Books

This wasn’t the first time I had read Mrs. Katz and Tush. Over the years, I’ve read read many of her books. She has a unique way of addressing difficult issues through story.

Of all her books we’ve read (and we haven’t read them all yet!), a few of our favorites are

• An Orange for Frankie
• Junkyard Wonders
• Bun Bun Button
• Mrs. Katz and Tush!

If you want to explore more of her books, download my FREE Patricia Polacco book list!

FREE Lapbook for Mrs. Katz and Tush

I am happy to share with you the 9-page lapbook I made for my daughter. It’s currently available in my ever-growing Resource Library for subscribers.

If you sign up, you will have immediate access to this lapbook. You’ll also get access to other incredibly useful resources for your homeschool and personal self-care as a homeschool mom!

Conclusion

I hope this Mrs. Katz and Tush lapbook will benefit you as you use the FIAR curriculum. It also works if you want to read a story that addresses themes of friendship, compassion, Jewish culture or cats. Either way, I believe this resource will be helpful and useful in your homeschooling journey!

Do you use lapbooks in your homeschool? Have you ever used Five in a Row? Leave a comment and let me know!