All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel [Hardcover]

Dan Yaccarino (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 8, 2011 | Age Range: 5 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 830L (What's this?)

This is the story of four generations of an Italian American family. It begins with an immigrant who came through Ellis Island with big dreams, a small shovel, and his parents' good advice: "Work hard, but remember to enjoy life, and never forget your family."

Now, many years later, the man's great-grandson, Dan Yaccarino, tells how he succeeded, and how the little shovel has been passed from father to son—along with the good advice.

It's a story that captures the experience of so many American families. One that will have kids asking their parents and grandparents, where did we come from? Tell me our story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly:
"In this affectionate personal history, Yaccarino (Lawn to Lawn) traces his ancestry from Sorrento, Italy to New York City. . . Folksy and warm, this is a timely reminder that America is a nation of immigrants."

Starred Review, School Library Journal, March 2011:
"Yaccarino’s family is proudly Italian, but their immigration story is universal. Readers of varied backgrounds will be able to identify with the search for a better life in a new country, the passing along of values and heirlooms, and the addition of new family members. The story will make an excellent family-history discussion starter."

About the Author

DAN YACCARINO is an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator with more than thirty books to his credit. Dan is also the creator of the animated TV series Oswald. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375866426
• ISBN-13: 978-0375866425
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.3 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Emigrants & Immigrants

More About the Author

Dan has written and illustrated over three dozen children's books and has had the pleasure of working with some of the most prestigious names in children's literature, including Margaret Wise Brown, Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Henkes and Patricia MacLaughlin. Dan has also had the honor of being invited to the White House to share his books and to participate in the annual Easter festivities.

Dan has created and produced Nickelodeon's animated series, Oswald, as well as Willa's Wild Life and is the character designer behind Nickelodeon's The Backyardigans.

Currently, Dan is writing and illustrating more books and is developing more television as well as feature film projects.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It will definitely spark curiosity March 16, 2011

By Lisa Barker

Format:Hardcover

Very well done! I loved the way the little shovel ties the generations together and takes us from one family to the next in this author's history. This makes for a fascinating read that would definitely compliment a second grade social studies unit on families and ancestors (great for homeschooling), and just wonderful for a parent or grandparent to read with a child curled up on his/her lap. It will definitely spark curiosity in each child about his/her own story. There's a lot of talk about this book and it's all right on the mark. - Biblio Reads Children's Book Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book that explains one family's journey from Italy to America June 5, 2013

By Debbie Orrico

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is an accurate example of the journey that many Italian-Americans took when first arriving in America. I purchased this book to present as a gift to an Italian elementary school as a part of a cultural exchange program. The multi-generational story is one that hit close to home with my own family, as well as countless others that came before us. The illustrations are wonderful too!

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful family story December 31, 2012

By Maria Sidor

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Illustrations bring the story to life. Great story that focuses on family and the importance of traditions. This story brought back happy memories of my childhood.

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Heritage Through The Eyes of a Child November 14, 2012

By Impressions

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this book for my grandson and I am giving it to him for Christmas.
I wanted him to see in easy terms how immigrants came over and started a new life in the US. I think he will love it. Being Italian and having great-grandparents who were born in Italy will help him understand how and why they came over.

4.0 out of 5 stars "I was born the son of a sharecropper..." July 27, 2012

By M. Heiss

Format:Hardcover

The stories that families pass down from generation to generation help build a framework for success for the children.

"They worked very hard, but they were also very poor."
"Work hard, enjoy life, and never forget your family."

As prosperity grows, decade after decade, new opportunities open up. This is an interesting immigrant story posing as a biography of an unknown author (sorry.)

But what makes it effective is its charming grasp of life's truths: work hard, enjoy life, and never forget your family.

Tomorrow will surely come.

4.0 out of 5 stars Small bio November 21, 2011

By Debnance at Readerbuzz

Format:Hardcover

Dan Yaccarino tells the story of his family's move from Italy to the United States. Everywhere the family goes, they carry their shovel along, and the shovel always serves a purpose.

A small biography for the very young, with that wonderful characteristically Dan Yaccarino-ish simplicity.

"So when I grew up, I moved back to the city where my great-grandfather Michele had lived.

`Work hard,' my father told me as he handed me the little shovel. `But remember to enjoy life.'

`And don't forget to call your family,' said my mother."

4.0 out of 5 stars My son loved it September 10, 2011

By Stace Klempnauer

Format:Hardcover

I really like Dan Yaccarino's illustrations and books, but wasn't sure that my 3 year old would get into this book. We got it from the library and he's asked to read it nightly, quietly listening and looking for the shovel throughout the book. He loves it. I think we'll get it for Christmas. It's a nice story, well done.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! December 14, 2011

By Robert Mulligan

Format:Hardcover

Having read many of Dan Yaccarino's books to my 9 children in the past, I knew that this new story would bring a fresh discussion to our dinner table. My kids now have a new understanding of how their grandparents came to this country. From the potato fields in Ireland to the streets of New York City, my family will now continue it's heritage through a little story by this author. Well done!