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Maya's World
Maya's World: Angelina of Italy
ANGELINA LOVES PIZZA. So much so that when she hears that there is a Leaning Tower of Pisa, and mistakenly thinks it’s made of pizzas, she is so distressed that she must go see it for herself!
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
24 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2004
2 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Maya Angelou
276 books14.7k followersMaya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 11, 2022
My students thoroughly enjoyed Maya’s World. They were transported to Italy through the vivid illustrations and relatable story. They were intrigued and curious to learn more about Italy.
November 7, 2017
This books age group is around 4 to 8 years old. This book focuses on introducing other children to different cultures. This is primarily focused on Angelina and her trip to Italy. Angelina heard that there was a Leaning Tower of Pisa, the word Pisa translated in her mind Pizza. So, she had to go see the Leaning Tower of Pizza for herself. I had this book rated at 5, but now after reading and understanding the book fully, I changed it to a 3. This book itself is cute and entertaining to little children. But this book when looked at from an older perspective it doesn’t have any real meaning other than introducing children to other cultures and having a good plot to catch the readers attention.
January 21, 2011
Maya Angelou is an incredibly talented writer, and I never knew about her series of American Girl-esque books called Maya's World, each featuring a little girl from a different culture. (And each book comes with a paper doll!) This book in particular is about a little girl in Italy named Angelina who loves pizza and becomes concerned when she learns about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, thinking it's really made of pizza and that pizza will go to waste. I thought that the story was a little dumb, if kind of cute.
Maya Angelou is a wonderful writer, and her "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" series is one of my favorites. But it sure seems like she phoned it in for this one (and possibly the rest of the series).
Maya Angelou is a wonderful writer, and her "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" series is one of my favorites. But it sure seems like she phoned it in for this one (and possibly the rest of the series).
June 2, 2014
I had never read anything by Maya Angelou and thought I would with her passing. This was a really short book about a girl from Italy. Apparently, there are several of these types of books to introduce children to other cultures. This book could be read-aloud to a younger kid.
January 17, 2010
We haven't started this book, but since it is for my daughters and I don't want to search for it later, I am putting it under the reading column.
November 9, 2011
Cute story for children. I think it must be for VERY young children though as the story was VERY simple.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews