Give the gift of a good bedtime story for the kids this holiday season
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Looking for the perfect children’s gift this holiday season?
Give the gift of a good bedtime story.
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Give the gift of a good bedtime story for the kids this holiday season Back to video
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In this day of tablets and iPhones and instant online messaging, a beautifully detailed children’s book brimming with a good storyline is the gift that keeps on giving, especially one that promises to become a family favourite.
And one written by a couple of award-winning Canadians.
Nonna and the Girls Next Door (Second Story Press) is the delightful story of a young girl coveting the world of her next-door neighbours, two young sisters around the same age as her. The two sisters seem to live a charmed life of favourite pets, treehouses, after-school activities and camp, while the protagonist lives at home with her parents, and a doting grandmother – nonna – who looks after the little girl, regaling her with stories of her past life in another country, as they bake favourite cookies together.
The story is simple yet profound, with a lovely happy ending that sees the two sisters wanting what the little girl has – namely a nonna who dotes on her and bakes cookies with her.
Written by award-winning writer and author, Gianna Patriarca, and beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Ellie Arscott, the storyline is universal with a theme that transcends all ages, namely of wanting what others have, when others want what is yours. Or, as Patriarca, (author of 11 books, poetry and short fiction), recently explained via email, “because grandmothers (nonnas) gave us so much more than cookies, and some of your best friends live right in your own house.”
The artwork is exquisite and conveys the author’s messaging seamlessly; all in all a most charming read and perfect for the holiday season. Available wherever books are sold as well as online.
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