The Loch Review

A delightful picture book about a little girl from Naples, Italy, trying to make
herself clear in her first English-speaking classroom. As she tries to tell the
story of her one and only visit to a farm, the teacher provides her with the
necessary English words to tell a humorous tale about a cow kicking her,

a pig pushing a cow, and the three of them swimming in a river together. All the
while, the teacher thinks she is telling a story about her whole life on a farm in
Naples. Josephine, the little girl, realizes she must learn the words that best
describe Naples–words such as castles and roman ruins and architectural
engineers. She is eager to teach her teacher about the real beauty of this bustling
city–in English, of course. I loved this story for many reasons. The illustrations are
stunning, and little Josephine reminds me somehow of Madeline. The text and the
illustrations truly blend to tell the story together. When Josephine can’t find the
words, the illustrations literally carry her along the journey of her farm story. I am
amazed at how well I know this child after just tagging along with her for one day.
The author has taken what probably amounts to a five-minute memory from her
own childhood and created a vivid, dynamic character who is so alive for me by
the end of the book that I wish I could tag along tomorrow, too. You can order
this book through your favorite bookstore, or you can contact the publisher at
www.GingerbreadBooks.com.