Customer Reviews

Tommaso and the Missing Line

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Tommaso was a little boy who had the unusual habit of keeping "a drawing in his pocket." Many people probably thought that was a bit odd, but things got even stranger when he looked at the drawing only to find one of the lines was missing. Startled by this turn of events he asked his mother "Where did my line go" She didn't know. It was a landscape drawing that "showed a house on a hill, a tall tree and some mountains. - And two people - him and his grandma." It was something that meant a lot to him.

He asked his mother again and she told him that it couldn't just disappear. He asked an old dog who was out on the street. Of course the dog didn't' answer him. He asked a mechanic named Gregorio. The only line he knew about was an antenna on a car. He asked a cat who was taking a nap. Now that cat didn't even open his eyes. He was not interested in a little boy and his problems. He went to ask Luigi at the barbershop. While he was cutting his hair Tommaso told him all about the drawing, but the barber replied, "a line is just a line" and told him to draw it again. The only thing to do was to go visit his nonna. Nonnas know everything and she would help him!

This book as stated, "leads us through an Italianate landscape." The simple, but beautifully detailed line drawings bring to mind New Yorker cartoon illustrations and may not appeal to all people, but will be loved by many. The story itself is charming and Tommaso's search for his missing line is quaint and appealing. This would be a lovely read aloud book to share with your child. If you have read any of Matteo's previous books and enjoy his style you'll simply fall in love with this book!

"Where did my line go?" asks Tommaso. In search of a missing line, from a drawing that he loved, Tommaso leaves to look. Antenna lines and cat tails lead Tommaso to Luigi's barbershop. Luigi, the barber, experienced with hair, reveals that lines come in different shapes and colors and that each one is unique. Tommaso travels to nonna's house and he finds the missing line in the very view he remembered; just as real as he remembered it. Carefully drafted ink illustrations and a simple but ingenious text make this a great pick for any 3-6-year old.