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Mozzarella
Mozzarella and Fontina receive a postcard from their Uncle who is searching for their parents and clues about the golden bocconcini whilst in New York.... Join Mozzarella’s adventures and learn some Italian!
- GenresPicture BooksEbooks
50 pages, Paperback
Published February 29, 2024
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 26, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc. All opinions here, are my own.
Mozzarella is a little mouse who lives in Italy with his nonna Di Ricotta and little sister, Fontina. Their parents are currently out in the world, in search for the great treasure, the Golden Bocconcini.
Okay so I had a laugh. There is so many references of food, cheese and Italian cruisin that I just burst into a huge laugh while reading this book. Jenna James truly love Italy. And I think this was a cute kind of book where the reader are introduced to cheese and Italy culture.
Of course the mouse Mozzarella don't only talk about food, nah. The theme is family and sibling relationship. Typically Italian family, they may nab but thats how it is sometimes. This is just an book with introduction
At the end of the book, there are some nice learning materials for the kids so they can learn the language, Italian. I had a blast. Very short book and easy to read aloud. The illustrations was nice, but if you don't like rats or mouses, this may not be your cup of tea. They were a bit similar to humans and that gave me some shivers...
Mozzarella is a little mouse who lives in Italy with his nonna Di Ricotta and little sister, Fontina. Their parents are currently out in the world, in search for the great treasure, the Golden Bocconcini.
Okay so I had a laugh. There is so many references of food, cheese and Italian cruisin that I just burst into a huge laugh while reading this book. Jenna James truly love Italy. And I think this was a cute kind of book where the reader are introduced to cheese and Italy culture.
Of course the mouse Mozzarella don't only talk about food, nah. The theme is family and sibling relationship. Typically Italian family, they may nab but thats how it is sometimes. This is just an book with introduction
At the end of the book, there are some nice learning materials for the kids so they can learn the language, Italian. I had a blast. Very short book and easy to read aloud. The illustrations was nice, but if you don't like rats or mouses, this may not be your cup of tea. They were a bit similar to humans and that gave me some shivers...
July 25, 2024
Mozzarella, little mouse living with his Grandmother and his sister Fontina. They found that their parents who left to meet their uncle in New York were lost. But, their uncle was determined to find them anyhow.
Then, to get them engage with other acts so that they did not to get downhearted, their Grandmother make them help her in making cheesecake. They fought while mixing flour and Mozzarella got that flour all over him. His li'l sister lied to Grandma to hide her mistake got Mozzarella took all the blame. But she realised it soon and went to make his brother happy by accepting her wrong doing and then Fontina confessed & apologized to both of them. Thereafter Grandma mouse made Mozzarella cut the cake and then they went to bed happily by complimenting each other for best siblings.
Moral was the 'Honesty in Character' and 'to always accept the mistakes we did rather than blaming others by intention or mistake'.
However, Mozzarella and Fontina's parents mystery seemed like an open loop as there is no clarity on there further existence and this book to be a series in becoming. Also, in last to recognise the Colors of Mozzarella's clothes is good exercise for the Italian learner but for others, Non-Italian readers, no answers given to learn the translated meanings in English.
This is good picture book. Background visuals were so better and colors filled in background images were soothing to eyes. Overall art was so good to enjoy.
My NetGalley review
Then, to get them engage with other acts so that they did not to get downhearted, their Grandmother make them help her in making cheesecake. They fought while mixing flour and Mozzarella got that flour all over him. His li'l sister lied to Grandma to hide her mistake got Mozzarella took all the blame. But she realised it soon and went to make his brother happy by accepting her wrong doing and then Fontina confessed & apologized to both of them. Thereafter Grandma mouse made Mozzarella cut the cake and then they went to bed happily by complimenting each other for best siblings.
Moral was the 'Honesty in Character' and 'to always accept the mistakes we did rather than blaming others by intention or mistake'.
However, Mozzarella and Fontina's parents mystery seemed like an open loop as there is no clarity on there further existence and this book to be a series in becoming. Also, in last to recognise the Colors of Mozzarella's clothes is good exercise for the Italian learner but for others, Non-Italian readers, no answers given to learn the translated meanings in English.
This is good picture book. Background visuals were so better and colors filled in background images were soothing to eyes. Overall art was so good to enjoy.
My NetGalley review
March 12, 2024
What a cheesy fun book! A family of mice in Italy are waiting to hear more from the parents who are in NYC looking for a great mouse treasure! There is sibling rivalry and a confession of the truth of naughtiness between the little siblings. There is also a simple recipe for New York Cheesecake and a few fun paper activities. I'm glad that there will be more adventures coming soon!
The illustrations by the author are clear, imaginative, colorful, and fun.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on PDF from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 29 Feb 2024
The illustrations by the author are clear, imaginative, colorful, and fun.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on PDF from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 29 Feb 2024
March 19, 2024
What a great book!
“Mozzarella” is a delightful cheese-filled adventure starring a sweet little mouse and his family. With plenty of heartwarming moments and exciting escapades, this book is perfect for young readers.
The simple language makes it easy for the target age group to follow along, while the moral undertones add depth to the story.
Plus, it’s so much fun that even older kids will enjoy joining Mozzarella on his cheesy escapades!
I even read this to my young adult daughter and she giggled happily through it!
Thankyou to author Jenna James, Booksgosocial publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext
“Mozzarella” is a delightful cheese-filled adventure starring a sweet little mouse and his family. With plenty of heartwarming moments and exciting escapades, this book is perfect for young readers.
The simple language makes it easy for the target age group to follow along, while the moral undertones add depth to the story.
Plus, it’s so much fun that even older kids will enjoy joining Mozzarella on his cheesy escapades!
I even read this to my young adult daughter and she giggled happily through it!
Thankyou to author Jenna James, Booksgosocial publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext
July 11, 2024
An enchanting story of an Italian family of mice. Fontina and Mozzarella are brother and sister and with their sibling rivalry and antics, it becomes an engaging story for young readers. I actually loved the Italian undertones to this story. The moral of the story for the brother and sister is always tell the truth. Very good.
A special thank you to Books Go Social and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A special thank you to Books Go Social and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
April 5, 2024
Thanks to Nightingale Books and NetGalley for providing a review copy ebook. This review of NOT spoilers free, so expect spoilers for the story ahead.
Jenna James's "Mozzarella" is, for me, a slightly confused story with big aspirations that come from a good place. Let's start with what I liked about the book. Part of the goal of "Mozzarella" is to give the opportunity for bilingual readers, or early readers interested in Italian as a language, a starting place to learn words and phrases. The story features a cast of characters named after mostly Italian cheeses, and a villain that uses a Dutch cheese for a name instead which I couldn't help but smile at. Everyday words and phrases from Italian are spread out among the book (nonna, bambini, grazie), and the inclusion of some activity pages at the back of the book that use both Italian and English is a very thoughtful addition that brings more words into the vocabulary. However, I believe a pronunciation guide (either as a seperate page, or by adding superscript pronunciation above the words the first time they appear, e.g. GRAT-ZI, BOK-ON-CHI-NI) would not only be helpful but is almost essential for young readers who do not have access to someone with knowledge of Italian.
Secondly, the artistic style calls to touchstones like the 2008 Universal Pictures adaptation of "The Tale of Despereaux" (orig. by Kate DiCamillo (2003), dir. Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen), with large expressive ears and similarly large facial features. Background work and non-character details are really where the visual work shines, with wide shots of Tuscany, snapshots of other well known cities, and well rendered map work filling the pages. Unfortunately, the visuals suffer a lack of varied palette work, or effective use of light and shade. In panels where there are multiple mid-toned or brown characters, it might be more effective to use a darker toned background, or opt for a different colour palette completely. This is not the case in many of the panels in the book, which leads to characters blending in with the background, or not drawing the eye as clearly as one might hope for in a children's book. The character of Nonna is a particular study in the need for variance in lighting, as her almost entirely neutral and brown toned character blends seamlessly into similarly toned background on multiple occasions. Visual art and artistic style is deeply subjective as a topic, and while I personally feel the character artwork is not to my taste or requires refining, it does work servicably in capturing the reader's attention and remains mostly consistent throughout.
The story is where I have some difficulty. Ostensibly, the story is about Mozzarella and his sister Fontina helping their grandmother Nonna di Ricotta to make a New York style cheesecake. The two children get into a squabble, Fontina lies saying it was Mozzarella's fault, who is then punished. Fontina, feeling remorseful, owns up to her mistake and is gently reprimanded, and Mozzarella is forgiven, leading to an effective life lesson for the main characters and the reader.
Crucially though, this is not where the story starts. This part of the story starts a third of the way into the book, preceded by a far more dense story surrounding the children's parents, who left their home to meet their grandfather Zio, who is also on a quest to reclaim a great treasure from an evil prince. Mozzarella's parents never arrived and are now missing, but Nonna believes Zio will find them in the end. You might imagine that this part of the story focusing on the loss of his parents, the indeterminacy of their return being a focus, leading to Mozzarella exploring his emotions about all of this compared to his sister and his Grandmother, using pictures and postcards sent by Zio as a framework for exploration, but instead of this James immediately barrels straight into a story about children learning to get along and tell the truth. The story never returns to these larger world concepts at all, ending on a cliffhanger, building towards future published stories. It all feels disjointed as a reading experience, the intrigue of the first part of the story is lost, and the heartwarming lesson that follows is completely lampshaded by the far denser lore implications of the opening. All of this against the backdrop of it being billed as an edu-tainment piece confuses things even further. It feels a little like this book is trying to be too many things at once, rather than focusing on being one or even two things really well.
As this is Mozzarella's first adventure into the traditionally published sphere, I hope to see these aspects of storytelling refined as his story grows in the telling, but it makes it very difficult to recommend this book straight out the gate to parents or guardians looking to introduce children to Italian language concepts in an engaging way. I believe that Mozzarella's adventures will be far more engaging the more titles in the series are released, but in it's current iteration I would suggest readers go in cautiously optimistic about his future, and be prepared for a lot of unanswered questions. It's worth noting that "Mozzarella" was originally published independantly, and was later picked up by Nightingale books, and is a full 18 pages longer in this version, which might have brought about some editorial changes between publication. Unfortunately after a short search I could not easily find an original copy to compare with, and the Amazon listing for the 2022 version has been removed. Whatever the case may be, I hope Jenna James's next dip into Mozzarella's life starts to answer some of the audiences questions, and lead to a more well rounded product for young readers to grab on to.
Jenna James's "Mozzarella" is, for me, a slightly confused story with big aspirations that come from a good place. Let's start with what I liked about the book. Part of the goal of "Mozzarella" is to give the opportunity for bilingual readers, or early readers interested in Italian as a language, a starting place to learn words and phrases. The story features a cast of characters named after mostly Italian cheeses, and a villain that uses a Dutch cheese for a name instead which I couldn't help but smile at. Everyday words and phrases from Italian are spread out among the book (nonna, bambini, grazie), and the inclusion of some activity pages at the back of the book that use both Italian and English is a very thoughtful addition that brings more words into the vocabulary. However, I believe a pronunciation guide (either as a seperate page, or by adding superscript pronunciation above the words the first time they appear, e.g. GRAT-ZI, BOK-ON-CHI-NI) would not only be helpful but is almost essential for young readers who do not have access to someone with knowledge of Italian.
Secondly, the artistic style calls to touchstones like the 2008 Universal Pictures adaptation of "The Tale of Despereaux" (orig. by Kate DiCamillo (2003), dir. Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen), with large expressive ears and similarly large facial features. Background work and non-character details are really where the visual work shines, with wide shots of Tuscany, snapshots of other well known cities, and well rendered map work filling the pages. Unfortunately, the visuals suffer a lack of varied palette work, or effective use of light and shade. In panels where there are multiple mid-toned or brown characters, it might be more effective to use a darker toned background, or opt for a different colour palette completely. This is not the case in many of the panels in the book, which leads to characters blending in with the background, or not drawing the eye as clearly as one might hope for in a children's book. The character of Nonna is a particular study in the need for variance in lighting, as her almost entirely neutral and brown toned character blends seamlessly into similarly toned background on multiple occasions. Visual art and artistic style is deeply subjective as a topic, and while I personally feel the character artwork is not to my taste or requires refining, it does work servicably in capturing the reader's attention and remains mostly consistent throughout.
The story is where I have some difficulty. Ostensibly, the story is about Mozzarella and his sister Fontina helping their grandmother Nonna di Ricotta to make a New York style cheesecake. The two children get into a squabble, Fontina lies saying it was Mozzarella's fault, who is then punished. Fontina, feeling remorseful, owns up to her mistake and is gently reprimanded, and Mozzarella is forgiven, leading to an effective life lesson for the main characters and the reader.
Crucially though, this is not where the story starts. This part of the story starts a third of the way into the book, preceded by a far more dense story surrounding the children's parents, who left their home to meet their grandfather Zio, who is also on a quest to reclaim a great treasure from an evil prince. Mozzarella's parents never arrived and are now missing, but Nonna believes Zio will find them in the end. You might imagine that this part of the story focusing on the loss of his parents, the indeterminacy of their return being a focus, leading to Mozzarella exploring his emotions about all of this compared to his sister and his Grandmother, using pictures and postcards sent by Zio as a framework for exploration, but instead of this James immediately barrels straight into a story about children learning to get along and tell the truth. The story never returns to these larger world concepts at all, ending on a cliffhanger, building towards future published stories. It all feels disjointed as a reading experience, the intrigue of the first part of the story is lost, and the heartwarming lesson that follows is completely lampshaded by the far denser lore implications of the opening. All of this against the backdrop of it being billed as an edu-tainment piece confuses things even further. It feels a little like this book is trying to be too many things at once, rather than focusing on being one or even two things really well.
As this is Mozzarella's first adventure into the traditionally published sphere, I hope to see these aspects of storytelling refined as his story grows in the telling, but it makes it very difficult to recommend this book straight out the gate to parents or guardians looking to introduce children to Italian language concepts in an engaging way. I believe that Mozzarella's adventures will be far more engaging the more titles in the series are released, but in it's current iteration I would suggest readers go in cautiously optimistic about his future, and be prepared for a lot of unanswered questions. It's worth noting that "Mozzarella" was originally published independantly, and was later picked up by Nightingale books, and is a full 18 pages longer in this version, which might have brought about some editorial changes between publication. Unfortunately after a short search I could not easily find an original copy to compare with, and the Amazon listing for the 2022 version has been removed. Whatever the case may be, I hope Jenna James's next dip into Mozzarella's life starts to answer some of the audiences questions, and lead to a more well rounded product for young readers to grab on to.
March 30, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This book reminded me of one of my favorite books from when I was a child - The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, the difference being that this book was a picture book and not a chapter book. I thought this story was very sweet and I also enjoyed the illustrations. Highly recommend this adorable book!
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This book reminded me of one of my favorite books from when I was a child - The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, the difference being that this book was a picture book and not a chapter book. I thought this story was very sweet and I also enjoyed the illustrations. Highly recommend this adorable book!
Connect with Me <3
My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... (follow me and/or send a friend request!) - This is how I keep track of all of the books I read each year. I also crosspost all of my NetGalley reviews here.
Instagram/bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviews... (I try my best to follow back all Book accounts back in 48-72 hours)
2nd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviews... (This account is used as a backup Instagram because my original bookstagram account which I created in 2022 has been getting action blocked quite frequently (I was hacked in February 2024 and lost access to my account for about 5 days, and I think that has something do with why I have been having issues with my account. I have reported the issue to Instagram several times). I try to post on Instagram at least 3x a week. I post many NetGalley ARC books on Instagram, but I also enjoy talking about previously released books that I love. With the exception of NetGalley books, I enjoy both listening to and reading all the books I read.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Substack: https://bookreviewsbyjules.substack.com/ (feel free to subscribe!)
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookreviewsby...
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
April 5, 2024
"Mozzarella" by Jenna James is a delightful children's tale that whisks readers away to the enchanting world of an Italian mouse family living in a church cellar nestled in the Tuscan countryside.
The story follows the adventures of Mozzarella, a charming protagonist whose journey is both heartwarming and captivating. Through vivid storytelling and engaging illustrations, James creates a world that sparks the imagination and draws readers into Mozzarella's quest for the elusive "golden bocconcini" and his search for his long-lost parents.
One of the book's standout features is its underlying moral theme, which emphasizes the importance of honesty and kindness. Young readers will not only be entertained by Mozzarella's adventures but also learn valuable lessons about empathy and compassion.
The addition of Uncle Parma's postcards from around the world adds an exciting element to the story, as readers eagerly follow Mozzarella's journey across continents in search of answers.
While "Mozzarella" is a delightful read overall, some readers may find themselves wishing for a bit more depth in certain aspects of the story. Nevertheless, the book's charm and endearing characters more than make up for any minor shortcomings.
In conclusion, "Mozzarella" is a heartwarming tale that will captivate young readers and leave them eagerly awaiting Mozzarella's next adventure. With its engaging storyline and moral lessons, this book is sure to become a beloved addition to any children's bookshelf.
Overall it’s amazing and is highly recommended ✨❤️
March 14, 2024
Thank you so much to Booksgosocial / Nightingale Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
This was a quite an odd story, it didn’t really feel completed in anyway and not much really happens. It’s a shame honestly as they hinted at what could have been a great adventure book or a great family story either of the two stories hinted could have made this book great but it didn’t really have either.
We got the lesson of being honest is the best thing to do, an important lesson for children for sure, but it would have also been nice for Mozerella to have still made the cheesecake with his Nonna and sister instead of missing out. We also got a glimpse at what has happened to his parents but the story abruptly ends and we don’t get to further that which isn’t a good things at all, we were lead into it and then got nothing.
The illustrations though cute were also a bit strange, you could tell they were computer made illustrations. I did like all the included actives and the additional Italian facts and language you could learn at the end of the book, i always like book that include extra things for kids to do. Overall I think this could have been a really exciting and wonderful book, but it really wasn’t which is such a shame honestly, it was still good but could have been miles better.
This was a quite an odd story, it didn’t really feel completed in anyway and not much really happens. It’s a shame honestly as they hinted at what could have been a great adventure book or a great family story either of the two stories hinted could have made this book great but it didn’t really have either.
We got the lesson of being honest is the best thing to do, an important lesson for children for sure, but it would have also been nice for Mozerella to have still made the cheesecake with his Nonna and sister instead of missing out. We also got a glimpse at what has happened to his parents but the story abruptly ends and we don’t get to further that which isn’t a good things at all, we were lead into it and then got nothing.
The illustrations though cute were also a bit strange, you could tell they were computer made illustrations. I did like all the included actives and the additional Italian facts and language you could learn at the end of the book, i always like book that include extra things for kids to do. Overall I think this could have been a really exciting and wonderful book, but it really wasn’t which is such a shame honestly, it was still good but could have been miles better.
March 28, 2024
A picture book that's clearly borne from the author/illustrator's love of Italy and the Italian countryside. The story follows a family of mice, all named after various cheeses, as the brother and sister learn how to overcome disagreements. It's a simple story but unfortunately much of the action happens off the page (eg the finding of the urn, the making of the cheesecake). It's also somewhat disjointed. It begins with the discovery of a stolen treasure, which seems like it would be a key story point, but it's forgotten and never mentioned again.
The illustrations were not to my personal taste; they felt computerized, and homogenous from page to page (facial expressions, color palette, etc). But again, this is my personal opinion and art preferences vary widely so you may find the art very much to your liking. And there are several illustrations that are quite nice, like the town map.
My final thoughts: creating picture books is extremely difficult, much more so than most people realize. The simpler the story and illustrations, the more work it takes to bring them to perfection. I commend this author for taking the leap, and I hope she will continue to remain dedicated to her craft. She clearly has the passion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The illustrations were not to my personal taste; they felt computerized, and homogenous from page to page (facial expressions, color palette, etc). But again, this is my personal opinion and art preferences vary widely so you may find the art very much to your liking. And there are several illustrations that are quite nice, like the town map.
My final thoughts: creating picture books is extremely difficult, much more so than most people realize. The simpler the story and illustrations, the more work it takes to bring them to perfection. I commend this author for taking the leap, and I hope she will continue to remain dedicated to her craft. She clearly has the passion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
April 4, 2024
Weirdly short, this is just the first chapter of a larger story, sold as a stand-alone entity. We're with two mice, living in Tuscany with a grandmother, as their parents are in New York, but now missing. The purpose of this fragment of whatever mouse tale we're due to get is to set some mystery up, and for the kid mice to be distracted by the cooking of a cheesecake – which leads to sibling dispute. In a spoilerific way I'll say that gets resolved, but absolutely nothing about the full quest does, before we get some bonus Italian lessons and the cheesecake recipe.
The illustrations that are on every second page, alternating with about five lines of narrative for each text page, aren't that appealing, as they highlight the gangly hands and extended ears and snouts of the characters, while trying to dress them up in some peculiar humanoid way. And the version of this I saw suggested some better proof-reading for punctuation might be in order. All told, it's the incompleteness of this that marks it down – especially for the RRP asked for this we deserve a full story. A dollar or two a month for an ongoing subscription to this as e-books and it might have been closer to being worth recommending, but as it is it really isn't.
The illustrations that are on every second page, alternating with about five lines of narrative for each text page, aren't that appealing, as they highlight the gangly hands and extended ears and snouts of the characters, while trying to dress them up in some peculiar humanoid way. And the version of this I saw suggested some better proof-reading for punctuation might be in order. All told, it's the incompleteness of this that marks it down – especially for the RRP asked for this we deserve a full story. A dollar or two a month for an ongoing subscription to this as e-books and it might have been closer to being worth recommending, but as it is it really isn't.
March 10, 2024
A delightful original children’s book. The story of a family of mice from Italy.
Quite atmospheric with a sense of place and the love of travel at its heart. The children’s parents are travelling, perhaps in New York from a postcard they receive.
Being Italian they have no trouble going into the kitchen and making a cheesecake to celebrate this news update.
With text on one page and a colourful illustration opposite this is a traditional read along story. The idea is that in each episode some moral issue will be addressed. Here the sense of getting someone into trouble and not being honest about what happened.
I liked the concept and the overall direction the author wants to take her books. However, I found the additional layer of this search for the ‘lost treasure’ confusing but then I might have missed an earlier book where the context was made clearer.
Overall though it is a good tale about family life and getting along together. The additional elements of learning some Italian words and even making your own cheesecake were a real bonus and a nice surprise to mark this out as a treasured book and something different to read and share.
Quite atmospheric with a sense of place and the love of travel at its heart. The children’s parents are travelling, perhaps in New York from a postcard they receive.
Being Italian they have no trouble going into the kitchen and making a cheesecake to celebrate this news update.
With text on one page and a colourful illustration opposite this is a traditional read along story. The idea is that in each episode some moral issue will be addressed. Here the sense of getting someone into trouble and not being honest about what happened.
I liked the concept and the overall direction the author wants to take her books. However, I found the additional layer of this search for the ‘lost treasure’ confusing but then I might have missed an earlier book where the context was made clearer.
Overall though it is a good tale about family life and getting along together. The additional elements of learning some Italian words and even making your own cheesecake were a real bonus and a nice surprise to mark this out as a treasured book and something different to read and share.
March 5, 2024
A delightful story about Mozzarella the mouse who currently lives in a church basement with his grandmother and his sister, Fontina.
While their parents are away on a family quest to help their uncle, the siblings receive news that their parents have disappeared! Their uncle, however, vows to locate them...
This is a very cute story with adorable characters and nice illustrations.
My only complaint is that I did not enjoy being left on a cliffhanger, even though there were some fun activities and enjoyable opportunities to learn more about Italy at the end of the book. Hoping for the next instalment soon!
While their parents are away on a family quest to help their uncle, the siblings receive news that their parents have disappeared! Their uncle, however, vows to locate them...
This is a very cute story with adorable characters and nice illustrations.
My only complaint is that I did not enjoy being left on a cliffhanger, even though there were some fun activities and enjoyable opportunities to learn more about Italy at the end of the book. Hoping for the next instalment soon!
July 10, 2024
Mozzarella is a sweet picture book about a mouse family living in Italy. I thought the illustrations were really nice & loved the focus on Italian culture. The plot was a bit odd to me, and there was a lot going on for a children's picture book. I think it could have been pared down to focus on one story line much more.
That being said, there were some super fun elements & I enjoyed the characterizations of the mouse family. There were also cute activities at the end of the book to help kiddos pick up a few words of Italian.
Thanks to NetGalley, Jenna James, and BooksGoSocial for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
That being said, there were some super fun elements & I enjoyed the characterizations of the mouse family. There were also cute activities at the end of the book to help kiddos pick up a few words of Italian.
Thanks to NetGalley, Jenna James, and BooksGoSocial for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 15, 2024
I believe this is a beginning to an ongoing series. Mozzarella lives with his Grandmother and sister Fontina. In this book we learn about telling the truth. We also learn that Mom and Dad are in New York on a quest. I like that the author included a game in the end and a recipe for Cheesecake that is a plus for the cook in the family. I think the illustrations are adorable and full of emotion with Mozzarella and Fontina. I will be interested to see where this series goes as it is off to a great start.
March 27, 2024
I am a retired preschool teacher, mother of seven and grandmother of two and i have read A LOT of children's books. Mozzarella is a sweet story about a mouse named Mozzeralla and his family - all named after different kinds of cheese. The story takes place in Italy and introduced children to Italian words and even has a little matching game on the last page. The story teaches about telling the truth and about being a good sibling. I loved the illustrations, especially the pictures of the postcards and the train tickets - the details were fun. Lovely book - I would recommend!
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May 31, 2024*𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴*
This book was so adorable, it follows a family of mice in Italy with cheese-filled adventures and moments. I loved the sibling rivalry in this, I know it’s intended for younger readers, but oh man I was having a joy reading this.
I loved the Italian setting and illustrations in this. I giggled so much throughout this and loved every heartwarming moment. This is the perfect book for children wanting to giggle with some mice!
🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!
This book was so adorable, it follows a family of mice in Italy with cheese-filled adventures and moments. I loved the sibling rivalry in this, I know it’s intended for younger readers, but oh man I was having a joy reading this.
I loved the Italian setting and illustrations in this. I giggled so much throughout this and loved every heartwarming moment. This is the perfect book for children wanting to giggle with some mice!
🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹 🧀 🐭 🇮🇹
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!
March 17, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for this e copy of Mozzarella by Jenna James in exchange for a honest review.This is the story of Mozzarella and Fontina, a mouse brother and sister, who are living with their grandmother while their parents are on an adventure in New York City .They learn valuable lessons about telling the truth in this preschool friendly storybook which also has some activities in the back..
March 8, 2024
It is a very cute story with much potential. However finishing a children's book with a cliffhanger makes no sense to me, not for children this age.
I’m not a fan of the illustrations, it’s just not my taste. I did like the activities at the end, it’s a nice way to learn Italian!
I think I loved it more if it was just about making cheesecake with Nonna or only about their missing parents.
I’m not a fan of the illustrations, it’s just not my taste. I did like the activities at the end, it’s a nice way to learn Italian!
I think I loved it more if it was just about making cheesecake with Nonna or only about their missing parents.
March 14, 2024
This is a cute story but the lack of a satisfying ending makes it hard to recommend. The illustrations are cute but rather generic. The story is too drawn out for a picture book. Overall, a fine book but nothing makes it stand out as particularly special.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 25, 2024
Wonderful little picture book for early readers. Simple enough story line with lovely illustrations of 'Bella Italia'. I liked that the story has some very positive themes around kindness and importance of Family. It says this is part of a series so my little one will be delighted when the next one comes out. Also, should mention the activities in the back which are a thoughtful touch!
May 19, 2024
What an interesting adventure! This was a cute and entertaining read. From the hills of Tuscany to the Statue of Liberty we follow the adventures of this mouse family. The cheese puns were fun and the story interesting. This book is entertaining but Zi found the illustrations a little hard. I would have preferred them a little softer (if that makes sense).
March 9, 2024
I enjoyed the book, it perhaps my son is too young and so he didn’t find the story so captivating. I’m not sure what game this should be aimed at but I feel it’s perhaps children of 3/4 or older as the story and language used is complex so little readers loose interest quickly.
March 10, 2024
Thanks NetGalley for an ARC. This was a sweet story of a mouse and his sister. They live with their Nonna and their parents seem to be missing. The story was very short without many details, but the back of the book had fun Italian word games. My daughter liked the mouse falling into the flour.
July 30, 2024
This was a fun little story about Mazzarella and his sister Fontina, they live with their granny in the cellar of a country church, where they have some of the best adventures ever. It was also where they learned their toughness lessons about honesty. It was a fun and educative book.
March 6, 2024
The illustrations are darling and the characters are relatable. I thought the back was fun with the activities.
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