Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece by Patricia Polacco (review)

Young Patricia can’t read her essays aloud in front of the class, no matter how much kind encouragement her teacher, Mr. T., gives her. When he introduces her to drama teacher Mr. Wayne, she finds herself painting sets for the school play and eventually becoming the line prompter after Mr. Wayne discovers she has memorized the entire script. Her knowledge and courage are called upon when the star of the show suddenly leaves school and her classmates turn to Patricia. With Mr. Wayne’s support and coaching, she conquers her stage fright and learns the joy of performance in this illustrated memoir of the author’s own struggles with public speaking. Though the text rambles on a little, the conversational tone of first-person narration establishes a pleasing intimacy. Polacco’s pencil and marker illustrations are expressive and immediate, leaving readers with no doubt of her protagonist’s fear, excitement, and ultimate sense of triumph. Details of mid 20th-century school life, most notably in the characters’ saddle shoes and knee-length circle skirts, create a sense of time and place while remaining accessible, and the depictions of Mr. T. and Mr. Wayne are particularly dynamic and even tender. Dedicated to the real Mr. T. and Mr. Wayne, this title makes a lovely tribute to teachers and their life-changing impact on the author and countless other young people.