Our Italian Christmas Eve

Illustrated by Luciano Lozano
$10.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Viking Books for Young Readers
On sale Oct 10, 2023 | 9780593621875
Age 3-7 years
Reading Level: Lexile AD560L | Fountas & Pinnell M
Sales rights: World
Deck the halls and mix up the eggnog! It's Christmas Eve for little Danielle and Francesco—a time for family, presents, music, and most importantly . . . food!

    The siblings are very excited to celebrate at Aunt Babe's house, where there are too many aunties, uncles, and cousins to count. And all is peaceful and bright—until they realize that someone forgot to bring the dessert! Francesco and Danielle know they can save Christmas, but only if they can remember their mother's cheesecake recipe before it's too late.
    This festive tribute to food and family will get young readers in the holiday spirit and make them very hungry for a Christmas feast—Italian style!
"Foodies will enjoy this entertaining expansion to the holiday shelf." —Kirkus Reviews

"The siblings Sedita set a place for readers at the table of their extended Italian family’s holiday Feast of the Seven Fishes in this picture book look at a cherished tradition. . . . The authors sustain a warm, bubbly tone, a mood matched by Lozano’s scribbly depictions of a loving family exhibiting countless distinct and often-humorous facial expressions." Publishers Weekly

"Bright illustrations sketched with care accompany the text nicely in this fun take on a traditional Italian Christmas Eve. . . . An excellent addition to any elementary library, this would also pair well with a classroom lesson on holiday cultures around the world." —School Library Journal

About

Deck the halls and mix up the eggnog! It's Christmas Eve for little Danielle and Francesco—a time for family, presents, music, and most importantly . . . food!

    The siblings are very excited to celebrate at Aunt Babe's house, where there are too many aunties, uncles, and cousins to count. And all is peaceful and bright—until they realize that someone forgot to bring the dessert! Francesco and Danielle know they can save Christmas, but only if they can remember their mother's cheesecake recipe before it's too late.
    This festive tribute to food and family will get young readers in the holiday spirit and make them very hungry for a Christmas feast—Italian style!

Praise

"Foodies will enjoy this entertaining expansion to the holiday shelf." —Kirkus Reviews

"The siblings Sedita set a place for readers at the table of their extended Italian family’s holiday Feast of the Seven Fishes in this picture book look at a cherished tradition. . . . The authors sustain a warm, bubbly tone, a mood matched by Lozano’s scribbly depictions of a loving family exhibiting countless distinct and often-humorous facial expressions." Publishers Weekly

"Bright illustrations sketched with care accompany the text nicely in this fun take on a traditional Italian Christmas Eve. . . . An excellent addition to any elementary library, this would also pair well with a classroom lesson on holiday cultures around the world." —School Library Journal