Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Pino and the Signora's Pasta
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Candlewick, 2005 ISBN: 0763623962
Every day the Signora comes and feeds Pino and the other homeless cats of Rome. All the cats are delighted to see Signora, who makes a delectable pasta sauce that is “spiced to perfection.” All the cats except for Pino that is. Pino is tired of eating pasta. He wants “a tasty chop” or a “delicious fish.”
Determined to get something to eat that will appeal to his taste buds, Pino goes out to find a “better meal.” He soon comes to an outdoor café, where he samples a delectable fish, until a waiter tells Pino to “Shooo, cat! Shooo!” Poor Pino slinks away. Next Pino finds a pizzeria, but he is not welcome there either. Where will Pino be able to find a meal that will please his stomach and his heart?
In this clever picture book, we meet a cat who does not realize that what he seeks is under his nose the whole time. Sometimes we have to take a journey to better understand that what we really want is something that we already have.
With a lyrical text and amusing illustrations, this is a story that both entertains and enlightens.
