Italy Books

One of the best ways for children's books to introduce youngsters to the wonders of classical music and opera is to use loveable animals as heroes, and Tess Weaver's "Opera Cat" is one of the best in this genre. Not only will children be delighted by it, but any adult who likes opera or cats (or both!) is bound to greatly enjoy it.

Alma is a Siamese cat who lives in Milan with the great opera diva Madame So-So. Shut up in the soprano's apartment since her kittenhood, she longs to go outside and experience the wonders of the city, but can only watch enviously from the window. Everyday Alma watches as Madame So-So practices for the opera with the Maestro, and is always delighted when the Maestro kisses Madame's hand and calls her 'cara'. Unbeknownst to the humans, Alma herself sings along quietly behind a curtain during these rehearsals. Then one night Madame So-So comes down with laryngitis, and Alma reveals that she, too, has a magnificent voice. Will Alma be able to save the opera, have her moment in the spotlight, and break free of her apartment prison?

Weaver clearly loves opera as much as her characters do and the passion and occasional silliness of this world fill every page. Alma is a sweet and kind-hearted feline heroine, as well as an adventurous and musically gifted one. I am also very happy that in contrast to the stereotype of the operatic soprano as a horrendous egomaniac, Madame So-So does turn out in the end to be a very nice and gracious person. In addition, Andrea Wesson's vibrant watercolor illustrations are delightful, full of little details and capturing both the wonder of the opera house and the energy and bustle of Milan. One very picky point - Madame So-So is supposed to be singing Gilda in "Rigoletto", and her elaborate costume and wig (admittedly necessary for Alma's sake) is like nothing the sweet, simple teenage Gilda would wear. Of course, this probably takes place at a time when the diva could wear whatever she darned well pleased!

Besides "Opera Cat", another wonderful book to introduce children to opera is 'The Great Poochini', written and illustrated by Gary Clement, about a dog who is an opera star.

By the way, I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that 'Alma' is the Italian word for soul...

This is a charming and refreshing story about a clever cat who finally gets her day in the spotlight. The detail of the illustrations which accompany this humorous tale is sure to maker readers of all ages laugh with surprise and delight.
It is wonderful to read a fresh, new story that will surely become a classic!

Although I am fond of neither cats nor opera, Opera Cat left me begging for an encore! The story is perky, fun and deceptively sophisticated. Readers of any age will identify with the dreams and yearnings of Alma, the cat, and will enjoy the multi-leveled humor of this charming tale set in Milan. As a retired early-childhood educator, I was attracted by the stunning style and vocabulary of Opera Cat and by the lyricism and whimsy of its illustrations. Definitely a Read Aloud for the grandchildren!

This book has excellent reproductions and is a treasure to be had. It is however very heavy and you will need a nice desk or table to rest it on so you can browse the many pages and enjoy them. This is not an art history book so for students looking for many discussions you won't find that here. It is a collectors book and also makes a wonderful souvenir for those dreaming of visiting Florence or for those who have already been there. It is a great way to view the vast collection of a world famous museum in the comfort of your own home and to learn the names of different artists and view the works they created. I would not trade this treasure of a book for anything. It would make a fabulous holiday gift for the art lover in your life.

This is a spectacular and gorgeous book. It's truly the next best thing to visiting the museums themselves. If you've ever gone to a world-famous museum and wished you could have a copy of every painting there, then this is a dream-come-true book for you. It's pricey but worth every cent. This is the sort of book that will appreciate once it goes out of print and I'll bet it'll be worth several times its price in a few years.

This is a beautiful book. It contains pictures of all the paintings you will see at both galleries and much more. It is a treasure to keep to remind me of our trip to Florence.

My daughter and I just read this book last week. It is a great book and I'm glad to have it in our library! :)

The illustrations are very eye catching for young children. My5 yo child enjoyed learning about Italy. She was interested to learnmore about why a city would have streets of water. This book was a huge hit. We must have read this book at least six times the first week after getting it.

This book is a great springboard to learning possibilities such as cats, adoption, fatherhood, gondolas (boats), and Italy. The inside front cover has information to inhance the understanding of the book. Information given on Marco Polo, Venice, Italian words and phrases, and more.

I'm glad to have this book as part of our home library.

I bought this book for my daughter and she loved it! And I found an adult companion book on Amazon: "Chats de Venise" by Robert de Laroche, that I loved, but it turned out to be handy with her, because I could show her the pictures of the real cats in Venice, like Papa Piccolo and his "found" kittens!!

Insightful,analytical and comprehensive portrait of a loving character.Is a masterpiece. Full of drama,but it was a real life drama.The "parnas" was a sensitive man struggling with his own imaginative fears but valiantly facing the real fear.

This is an incredible story.

Silvano Arieti was an extremely gifted, and very well known, psychiatrist. He was born in Pisa, Italy and, as a child, looked to The Parnas--or synagogue leader, Giuseppe Pardo Roques--as a mentor. The Parnas was mentally ill. His illness inspired Arieti's career--which, as it developed, convinced Arieti all the more that "mental illness may...espress the nobility of man."

Arieti dreamed he would one day cure The Parnas, but The Parnas was murdered by the Nazis in WWII. Decades later, Arieti recreates the last days of The Parnas, providing us with a moving potrait of an incredible man in terrible times.

While Arieti's conclusions are profound, this book is definately accessible to the high school reader.

Pisa, Italy. July, 1944. As the Nazis and Allies collide, Giuseppe Pardo Roques, lay leader of Pisa's Jewish community, is a refugee in his own home. Struggling to display strength in spite of a bizarre and debilitating neurosis, the cultured, learned and generous Pardo plays host to several others, Jews and Christians both, seeking shelter from the battle. The Parnas reconstructs Pardo's final days and his ultimate confrontation with the Nazis. At once memoir (the author knew the characters), psychological profile, and meditation on good and evil, the book's defining quality is compassion. I'll read it again.

I recently traveled to Italy with three guidebooks; this one, the Rick Steves and Fodors. I ended up throwing the other two away. This one gives the best advice by far and doesn't just send you to the places where all the other tourists are (like Steves). I really enjoyed the restaurant recommendations and found a great apartment in Rome through this book (loved the non-traditional lodgings listed in this book; so different than the other books). Great sightseeing and advice on transportation too. And Italy's expensive right now, but this book helped make it affordable. I can't tell you how terrific this book was!

I am going to Italy this Spring and I thought that this book would give me valuable information for my trip. It already saved me $400 when I used a url site for finding a cost effective flight to another place!

This book is fantastic. LOTS of websites are listed and the practical info just isn't found in other books. The DK books are great for the pics, but this book is great for the recommendations of what NOT to miss and ways to see the other non-touristy side of Italy. So far this has been my favorite book. Can't wait to go to Italy!!

"The Uffizi Gallery Museum" by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren (freelance writer, translator, and former associate editor in the Department of Publications at the Museum of Modern Art, New York) is the profusely illustrated history of the Galleria degli Uffizi, the world's oldest surviving museum. The building houses the Uffizi museum is itself considered a masterpiece designed by Renaissance architect Giorgia Vasri. Founded in the mid-1500s by the Medici family, The Ufizi museum is offers visitors one of the richest and most complete collections of masterworks that include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Buontalenti, and Titian, among a legion of other notable artistic talents. Superbly produced and enthusiastically recommended for academicians and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in art, the full-color reproductions perfectly augment and illustrate an informed and informative text in a coffee-table book that will prove to be a popular and core addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections and reading lists.

These are two beautiful, comprehensive books - attractively packaged. We opted to buy these from Amazon after returning from Florence instead of purchasing on location - we saved money as Amazon's prices are much less and we didn't have to sacrifice precious luggage space.

After I went to Florence and saw both the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi, I searched in vain for a coffee-table quality book on both- and was thrilled with these!
I have to admit I was a little put off by not having a picture or example of the book on amazon, but I took a risk.
It is an excellent quality/heavy stock boxed set, with fabulous photos of not only the buildings, but the majority of the artworks and Boboli gardens. there is even bonus sections of collectors glass, rock crystal pieces and commissioned jewelry by a variety of Medicis. the frontpiece/backpiece outline the Medici genealogy, and there are historical narrations throughout the book of the history of the pieces, art, and politics of the times. Worth every penny, and an heirloom for any lovers of Florence.

This book has a wonderful message and I love a good book based on a true story! Magnifico!

I borrowed this book from the library and my husband fell in love with it (so we bought it for Christmas for the kids). It's a fun story to read to our daughters. The illustrations are whimsical and fun, and the story is of a pizza maker in Naples who is honored with the task of making pizza for the queen who wants to eat the famed food the local peasants eat. It's allegedly the story behind pizza as we know it today, specifically Pizza Margherita, named for the queen and made with the colors of the Italian flag (red tomatoes, white cheese, green basil). During the story, we follow Raffaele the pizza maker on his journey to the different markets to gather ingredients for his pizza for the queen, giving the reader a quick "flavor" of what shopping is like at specialty markets and introducing young readers to the different wonderful products made in Italy (prosciutto, cheeses, olive oil, etc.) and to the art of pizza making. All is well until Raffaele's cat eats one of the ingredients--what will Raffele make instead? The Italian flag gives him inspiration and his famous pizza is born. A recipe for Pizza Margherita is included at the back of the book.

"Magnifico!" exclaims Queen Margherita as she enjoys a slice of pizza made especially for her by Raffaele Esposito. Based on a true story, Castaldo magnificently describes the story of Raffaele, the finest pizza maker in Napoli, who is requested by the queen to make a pizza. Raffaele searches the city for the optimal ingredients for the perfect pizza. With inspiration from the red, white, and green of the Italian flag, Raffaele creates a pizza fit for a queen, appropriately dubbed "Pizza Margherita." This delectable story is enhanced with Potter's vivacious illustrations that capture the appetizing quest of Raffaele. With close attention to detail, the intricate pictures are able to express the Italian culture in the late 1800's. The story, as well as the recipe included in the book for "Pizza Margherita," will satisfy children's appetites everywhere.

Although I have read several books about Padre Pio, reading his own words gave me insight into his personality and spirituality, which I have not found elsewhere. A truly memorable experience for anyone who is interested in the life and contributions of this new saint!

I read this book in one day! I couldn't put it down. This is a very inspiring and easy to read book.

A good reading for people from every walk of life. Wonderful guidance!

Annie Hawes' stories of her life in Italy are by the far the most down-to-earth and real and interesting of any that I've ever read. If you've never encounted Hawes, please have a look at "Extra Virgin" and work your way over here. Hawes doesn't patronize the people that she writes about, she loves and understands them, and, with time, the reader does too. She is by far the best guide to the real Italy and real Italians that I have encountered. And she's darn funny!

As a follow up to her first book Extra Virgin which I found delightful, i was even more entertained by Ripe for the Picking.Ilaughed myself to tears in parts. I was impressed by her descriptions of the italian people she had introduced to us in her first book and allowed the reader to get to know them intimantly.It is by far much more informative about the people in these villages than the other books around, such as Under the Tuscan Sun, which focuses more on the authors lifestyle than on the people around her.Hope to get another follow up book from this author soon.

Ms. Hawes tells an excellent story. I'm raring to start on her third book but it's not available from amazon.com in the US! Arrgh! This second book is indeed touching in more than a couple of places, and her subtle writing style conveys far more than the word count would have you imagine. Her writing reminds me of a light-hearted and slightly Puckish Joan Didion. The combination of her English roots and her Italian home are irresistable... highly recommended!

btw -- don't be surprised when, after reading this book, you find yourself enjoying good olive oil, wine and bread and planting fruit trees and food crops in your garden... the book is thoroughly inspiring.

The artist is so talented. I love the way this book is illustrated. I have the other book in the series "Across the Aegean" & "The Passionate Observer" All candy for the eye!
Joan Aikens

This book takes me back to Italy every time I open it. Exquisite, thoughtful studies of the intimate details of this breathtaking landscape...vegetable stands, motor-scooters, doorknockers, espresso cups, and poppies! A wonderful gift book. Check out her other titles as well, especially "Across the Agean."

there is nothing like opening a book that has a way of taking the viewer on a journey of color and visual exploration. the Road to Rome is a beautifully illustrated "story" in which the artist brings the rolling hills and tranquil villages of italy to life. her color palette exudes the warmth and charm of the country, and this book would highlight any watercolor enthusiasts collection. I came across Marlene McLoughlins work by chance, and have been a fan ever since!