Italy

Materials from Italy

Nero Corleone

Nero Corleone isn’t your average cat. He’s much worse. On a farm somewhere in Italy, a black cat named Nero reigns supreme. There’s not one animal on the farm that doesn’t do exactly as Nero orders, even the dog. Then one day,Nero visits the house on the nearby hill, where a young German couple is vacationing, and there he has his first taste of the good life. Warm delicious condensed milk and sausage sandwiches! Soon after, Nero and his sister Rosa travel ten hours to their new home in Germany. But nothing really changes for Nero; he simply goes from being farm bully to being neighborhood bully. In this irresistible and warmly-told novel, where humans seem simple, and animals complex, Nero stops at nothing to get what he wants in life. But as time passes, even Nero begins to learn the lessons of life. Elke Heidenreich is a well-known columnist in Germany. Her satirical columns about everyday subjects appear in the biweekly magazine Brigitte. Quint Buchholz Hanser has illustrated many books for children. Both author and illustrator make their homes in Germany.

The Apprentice

In Renaissance Florence, 13-year-old apprentice Arduino’s dreams of being a painter are challenged after he discovers the extreme measures the Maestro Cosimo di Forlç will take in the name of jealousy. Arduino faces a decision that could cost him his only chance to realize his life’s dream.

Mama Robot

A robot mom would be fun to have. It would never make you clean your room or eat your vegetables. It would do whatever you wanted it to, even your homework. But does a robot mom know how to cuddle you like your real mom? Could a robot mom give you hugs and kisses just like Mom does? Mama Robot is a testament to mothers around the world as a young boy discovers what motherhood is really about, and what makes his mama so special.

Holly’s Red Boots

A little girl, a snowy day, and a pair of red boots add up to a cozy story with interactive art that is certain to charm the lap-sit crowd. It’s finally snowing! Holly wants to play outside, but Mom says Holly must wear her red boots. Holly and her cat, Jasper, decide to search for everything red. They find a red car, a red hat, and a red bathrobe, but no red boots. When Holly finally finds them, the snow has melted; but her boots are still perfect for splashing in the puddles left behind.

Someday When My Cat Can Talk

In a little girl’s fantasy, her cat sneaks away, hops a ship, and sails off to Europe! And someday, when he can talk, he’ll tell her all about the amazing things he discovered there like whether or not British cats drink tea and how he strutted down the runway in a Paris fashion show.

Little Tad Grows Up

Little Tadpole is going through some big changes in his early life. For one thing, he’s sad when he learns he is losing his tail. Instead, he’s growing four strange, long legs that he doesn’t know what to do with. The older frogs tell him to be patient, but it’s hard when everything’s changing around you. Then one day he finds himself face-to-face with a water snake’s big fangs, and he learns just how useful his new legs can be. In the process, he discovers a beautiful new world outside the water. This is a funny, endearing look at what it means to grow up.

Garage Band

When Giuliano’s father loans him the family garage, he and three of his friends form a band. Playing their battered secondhand instruments, the four teenagers find something they love to do, and they find in their friendship and music a refuge from difficult and turbulent home lives.  But when their only amp blows a fuse, a desperate search for some new equipment lands them in more trouble than they ever saw coming. Graphic novels with stunning watercolors by the renowned Italian artist Gipi.

The Flying Bed

An original fairy tale about a poor baker who finds a beautiful bed for his wife in a strange new shop–for free! Perhaps his bad luck has turned? But there are more wonders in store, for the bed has magical powers. That night, the couple flies across the heavens to meet a master baker who gives them some magic yeast that will make them the best–and richest–bakery in town! But the yeast comes with a promise that will test the baker’s integrity, and will eventually teach the baker and his wife about the true riches of love and loyalty.

The Sirens of Surrentum

It’s June A.D. 80. Everyone is thinking about love at the lavish Villa Limona, where friends Flavia, Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia have come to visit for the summer. But their host suspects that there’s a poisoner among the houseguests, and the friends are asked to investigate.

The Falconer’s Knot : A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play

Silvano and Chiara, teens sent to live in a friary and a nunnery in Renaissance Italy, are drawn to one another and dream of a future together, but when murders are committed in the friary, they must discover who is behind the crimes before they can realize their love.