Ciao Bambino! A Child’s Tour of Italy
by Danna Troncatty Leahy
The author says, “There is a growing need for families to expose their children to foreign languages and foreign cultures. Of course, many privileged families can afford to travel to experience these new places first hand. Others may simply want to expose them at an early age to inspire their exploration. Either path, what better means to expose your children than through the gift of books.
From this idea, I was determined to write a book for preschoolers that exposed them to Italian language and cultural novelties, but was more than just another picture dictionary. It had to be fun and engage the preschooler with familiar things from home, while sharing novelties from another country. This month I launched what I hope to be the first in a series of Ciao Bambino books. Ciao Bambino! A Child’s Tour of Italy is a picture book targeted for children 3-6 years old. Beautifully illustrated in original watercolor art, the 36-page book shares a tour of Italy through a child’s scrapbook. Throughout the fictional story, the young boy and his teddy bear travel companion share their travel adventure, and teach twenty-five Italian words along the way.”