Customer Reviews

Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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...

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.

A delightful book written for children but appealing to travelers of all ages. Our young heroine, Zoe Sophia, travels from Manhattan to visit her aunt in Venice Italy. She and her little dachshund ride through the canals to visit palazzos, piazzas, and museums. The story is told in a scrap book format with drawings and photos, notes and graphics, travelogue style.

At one point in the story, Zoe loses her little dog. This creates some suspense and mystery, but this book is to be enjoyed for its whimsy and educational value, not for its plot. I would think that anyone, adult or child, would be inspired to travel to Venice and to see all of the sites that were visited by Sophia. But for now, they can enjoy an armchair journey.

I listened to the story through my library...wow what a wonderful book. It makes you want to visit New York (second book) and Venice. I hope the other writes other Zoe adventure stories.

I bought this after a recent trip to Venice as a gift for my goddaughter (named Zoe). It was a great gift to include a picture of myself in the places the character is talking about in the book.

An adorable book - purchased for a young neice, read it first and fell in love with the simple story and the fabulous illustrations. As someone who totally loves Venice, the book is point-on - makes a fun gift for an adult and a wonderful "travel" book for the children in your life.