Customer Reviews

How Pizza Came to Queens

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A lot of qualities have to come together to make a childrenÕs picture book special. "How Pizza Came To Queens" has all of them.

The story is wonderful. It takes place at some unidentified time in the past (probably late 40s or early 50s), when an elderly Italian relative, Mrs. Pellegrino, pays a visit to Queens and is disappointed to discover thereÕs no pizza there Š but she doesnÕt speak English well enough to explain what pizza is. The children she visits want to make her happy, so they do everything they can to find out what pizza is so they can get one for Mrs. Pellegrino. They finally find the answer in the library (using a dictionary and then a cookbook), and buy all the ingredients, thinking all the while that a PIE made with TOMATOES sounds disgusting. To say the least, they get a pleasant surprise.

ItÕs a funny and charming story, but itÕs a lot more than that, too. I think itÕs very important for children to learn to appreciate other cultures, and a book showing that their favorite food has not been in this country forever, but came over with immigrants, is a great way to help them see foreign cultures and people in a positive way. The children in the story are also great role models. The find Mrs. Pellegrino odd (her difficulty with English even makes her seem a little mean at first), but they are able to put aside their feelings and try to help her feel at home. And theyÕre rewarded for their kindness with their first taste of pizza Š now thereÕs a reward most kids can appreciate.

A charming story and humane values make this book a gem. But the pictures make it even better. TheyÕre not conventionally pretty, but Dayal Kaur Khalso has a unique style based on vivid, sometimes startling colors that are eye-catching and quite beautiful.

Everything about "How Pizza Came To Queens" is delightful. I enjoy reading it and looking at the art work as much as my daughter does.

This is a wonderful book that my children have enjoyed since they were much younger. The illustrations are colorful but the text is superb.