Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice [Hardcover]

Claudia Mauner (Author), Elisa Smalley (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Adventurous Zoe Sophia and her dog, Mickey, embark on a whirlwind trip to Venice to visit her great aunt Dorothy Pomander. During her stay, Zoe Sophia sees the sites, explores the city and bonds with her wonderful, quirky aunt. Featuring fun, vibrant watercolor illustrations, this engaging scrapbook captures the landscape of Venice and the importance of loving relationships.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Using the popular diary format, this travelogue takes its spunky nine-year-old heroine and her dachshund from Manhattan to visit her great-aunt in Venice. They tour museums, shop for masks, ride a gondola, and observe a glassblower. Double-page watercolor-and-ink illustrations, as well as smaller framed "snapshots," are at once aesthetically pleasing and comical. Suspense is introduced when Zoe's dog disappears, but gondolier Ludovico saves the day in an endearing scene involving concerned faces stained with spaghetti al nero. The book offers bits of information, appealing characters, and a sense of the majesty and grandeur of Italy's palaces and piazzas; it will interest armchair and authentic travelers alike. Removing the dust jacket reveals a labeled map on the cover. Pair this title with Christina Bjork's Vendela in Venice (R & S, 1999), Candace Fleming's Gabriella's Song (Atheneum, 1997), or the Classical Kids CD Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery for further insights into the city's charms.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-4. In this picture book for older children, bright, nine-year-old Manhattanite Zoe Sophia and her dachshund travel to Italy for a week to visit with slightly bohemian Great-aunt Dorothy. Delightfully balancing colorful, cartoon images of bespectacled humans, their grinning pets, and such Venetian backdrops as the opera, with a nearly breathless commentary accurately reflecting the viewpoint of artistic Zoe, the authors have created a hit for Marissa Moss' fans that other youngsters will like as well. Strong female characters, fun with "real" art and artists (as in the page devoted to Chagall), a little bit of worry when the dog goes missing, and the pervading scent of gingersnaps make for a story that is both cheerful and substantial. Zoe Sophia is a charmer, and her trip to Venice unfolds with just enough adventure and information to satisfy her peers. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Library Binding edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811836061
• ISBN-13: 978-0811836067
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Venice

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now my daughter keeps her own scrapbook!, October 29, 2003

By 

jbalter (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice (Hardcover)

This sweet book captures the adventure of travel and the beauty of Venice through the eyes of a nine-year old girl. The novel scrapbook format of the story simply illustrates the importance and value of documenting our experiences and travels. Zoe Sophia inspired my daughter!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red hair, dogs, cats, eccentric aunts, art, Venice--these are a few of my favorite things, December 18, 2007

By 

Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice (Hardcover)

If I were a children's writer/illustrator, "Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice" is the book I would write. But I'm not and I haven't, so I will sing its praises.

Verse 1: What does a child do if she is clever, open-minded, and eccentric? She has a best pal, Mickey, her black dachshund, and her buddy, the doorman, Victor Gonzales. But best of all she has her great-aunt Dorothy Pomander, who lives in Venice and is a famous writer. Thus sets the premise for the book: a trip to Venice. Zoe Sophia, not so surprisingly, holds her aunt in highest esteem: each seems to be the reflection of the other. So, verse 1--a matched pair of eccentric characters.

Verse 2: The artwork is simply incredible. Claudia Mauner uses watercolor and india ink. Watercolor produces soft, glowing colors with a sponged look; the india ink outlines and highlights what is needed, especially those eyebrows.

Verse 3: The paintings within the artwork of the story, Chagall and Tiepolo, and the architecture rendered in watercolor, San Marco Basilica, the Ca'd'Oro (House of Gold), the Piazzetta, and, of course, the Grand Canal on the cover.. Even the gondola repair shop outside DP's apartment window looks like a Durain painting, and a portrait of DP looks like a creation by Andy Warhol.

Verse 4: It is quite clever of Claudia and Elisa Smalley to create a story that includes so many tidbits of Venice: language, key famous places and what happens there, food, customs, famous jobs, architecture, paintings, opera. It all fits in the framework of the story without seeming intentionally educational. Children will learn happenstance.

Verse 5: A tender minor plotline of losing Mickey, the dachshund, presents a less self-assured Zoe Sophia. I love the illustration of Zoe in bed, wide-eyed with worry, hair frazzled, with her glasses and hair twists on the bedside table. Never fear. Mickey is returned, all is well and a large group of new friends attend the opera, including dogs and cats. Another sweet aspect of the book is that Mickey and Pip, DP's marmalade cat, go everywhere with the two adventurers.

Chorus: I love Zoe Sophia. If my calculations are correct, Claudia and Elisa wrote only two Zoe Sophia books. Her first adventure took place in New York with her beloved DP. I want more, nay, I demand more Zoe Sophia books!! This book is so entertaining and charming, as well as educational. More! More! More!....please...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars zoe sophia's scrapbook, August 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice (Hardcover)

Excellent for children in the 7 to 10 age group. Makes you want to visit Venice too. Both the story and illustrations are first class.