Goodreads Review:
Miss Eula is back! In this heartwarming companion to Chicken Sunday, young Trisha is devastated when her grandmother passes away, but finds joy in bonds with a new friend, her new California neighborhood--and the invincible Miss Eula.

There will never be anyone like her grandmother, Patricia Polacco thinks, when her grandmother passes away. But when she and her family move to California--in the middle of a drought--she meets a new friend, the irrepressible Stewart, and his amazing grandmother, Miss Eula, who not only takes Trisha under her wing, but, with Trisha and Stewart, steps up to lead their entire extraordinarily diverse neighborhood to help a hurting neighbor--and her once lush garden--survive the drought.
Trisha's grandmother's old saying about the stars being Holes in the Sky turns out to be Miss Eula's, too, convincing Trisha that she has miraculously discovered another unforgettable grandmother.

When Trisha's beloved Bubbie dies, the young girl is devastated, and, having been told that the stars are holes in the sky, through which our loved ones can observe us from heaven, she looks for a sign from above. After moving to California with her mother and brother, she is befriended by Stewart, a local African-American boy, and eventually meets and is likewise befriended by his grandmother, the inimitable Miss Eula Mae Walker. When Stewart has an idea for cheering up a neighbor, who is herself mourning the loss of her son, Miss Eula steps in and organizes the entire neighborhood in a project to revitalize her gardens. As Trisha works and plays with her new friends, she continues to look for a sign from her Bubbie, and eventually it comes to her...

Patricia Polacco does it again in Holes in the Sky, once again mining her seemingly inexhaustible supply of family and personal history to tell a heartwarming tale. Here we once again meet Miss Eula, the grandmother of her childhood friend Stewart, both of whom featured in her earlier picture-book, Chicken Sunday. Addressing themes of loss and grief, of friendship across racial and age lines, and of the power of community, this wonderful book had me tearing up on more than one occasion, which is no uncommon occurrence with Polacco's books. I appreciated the idea of helping others, as a means of working through our own grief and issues, and I found the idea of remaining connected to our departed while also staying connected to the world and to the people around us, quite moving. Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed Chicken Sunday, and to anyone looking for moving picture-books with a theme of loss, grief and healing. ( )

There's something special about grandmas. Their hugs. Their cooking. Their wise advice that lingers long after their gone. Trisha holds on tightly to the promise that her grandma, her Babushka, makes to her before she leaves- that she will send a sign to let her know that she is watching down through the "holes in the sky." Searching and waiting, and waiting and searching, Trisha feels she will never get that sign. I like how through Trisha's new neighborhood and her friendship with Stewart, Polacco teaches that when we open our eyes we can witness miracles and notice the stars that are right in front of us! ( )

This latest Patricia Polocco book is another emotionally tears worthy one.

It felt like ages since her last book was out. I fervently hope that she will write, illustrate, and publish many more. I read this one today almost as soon as I got it home from the library. I was hold #1 so was fortunate to get a pristine copy to read.

Great story for those looking for stories about gardening, grandparent & grandchild relationships, and loss and healing, how one person or small group of people can make a difference, good neighbors, friendship, diversity, Oakland California historical fiction, and all Patricia Polacco fans.

There are also mentions of going to heaven after death and sending signs down to surviving loved ones, this latter not my personal cup of tea, yet sill done in a very lovely way and not objectionable to me at all.

Re the historical fiction in Oakland, extremely historical though I’m sure true, but now it would be nearly impossible for a single mother with 2 kids to just buy a 3 bedroom house there, with no bidding wars, even if they were MUCH wealthier than they seem to be. Definitely not modern Oakland!

The illustrations are great. I’ve noticed that I always love the illustrations in Polacco’s books with an Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area setting. They’re so detailed and so full of things to view.

I love that this author spent some of her childhood years just across the bay from where I spent mine and from where I live, and in a town I still visit fairly frequently.

Unlike some of Polacco’s books that are suitable for children only 8 or 9 and older, as long as children have been introduced to the concept of death, I can recommend this story for all ages. ( )