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Papa Piccolo
The lion is the emblem of Venice, but the common cat rules its narrow streets and alleyways. A prince among these feline rulers is Piccolo, and what a fine life he leads! Especially after dark- when the streets are full of possibilities! Then one night, Piccolo makes a discovery that threatens his carefree life and his independence and starts him on a new and special kind of adventure. In these pages, you will also meet Caesar- Piccolo's older and somewhat cynical friend, and Sophia- the shoe shop cat, to whom Piccolo turns for advice when his life takes its unexpected turn. And you will meet two irresistible kittens- one spotted and one striped- who need a home and who help Piccolo discover his own tender heart. Illustrator Itoko Maeno, who first visited Venice in 1977, returned to that city- which many call the most beautiful in the world- to capture its watery magic for this story. Her enchanting renderings for the canals, markets, crooked byways, boats, and bridges of Venice and her wise and witty portraits of its two- and four-legged citizens will delight children and adults alike. At a time when we are recognizing the need for boys as well as girls to develop nurturing skills, Piccolo appears as a welcome model for all children.
30 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1992
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218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 20, 2009
3.5 STARS. Sweet story about a tomcat who takes care of two stranded kittens--begrudgingly at first, then with great affection and interest. As the Note to Parents in the back of the book mentions, it is sometimes difficult to find stories where a male figure is in the nurturing role, so I do appreciate that aspect of the tale. The largest appeal, though is that it takes place in Venice and I enjoyed the setting (there is a bit of historical and cultural notes in the inside cover of the books) and features CATS! ;-)
March 18, 2020
Piccolo was a carefree cat-about-town - a well-known tom on the canals of Venice, with a strong sense of adventure, a few close friends, and a pleasant routine of his own. Then one day, after encountering two abandoned kittens, and, in a moment of tenderness, singing them a sweet song from his long-ago youth, Piccolo finds himself embarking on the greatest adventure of his life. For these two feline waifs, playful and very persistent, have decided that Piccolo will be their new papa, and nothing seems to dissuade them. Will Piccolo succeed in ridding himself of these two ragtags, or will he accept his new role as a father...?
Papa Piccolo is simply an adorable book, and I thank my friend Kathryn for alerting me to it! If you have any fondness for cats at all (and I have more than a little, myself), you will be immediately won over by Marco and Polo, and by Papa Piccolo! I enjoyed the heartwarming story, loved the Venetian setting, and appreciated that the didactic purpose - to reinforce the idea that men too can be nurturing parental figures - never overwhelmed the narrative. The artwork by Itoko Maeno - whose illustrations appear in the beautiful picture-book Minou , also about cats - is delightful, capturing the expressions of each feline perfectly!
Papa Piccolo is simply an adorable book, and I thank my friend Kathryn for alerting me to it! If you have any fondness for cats at all (and I have more than a little, myself), you will be immediately won over by Marco and Polo, and by Papa Piccolo! I enjoyed the heartwarming story, loved the Venetian setting, and appreciated that the didactic purpose - to reinforce the idea that men too can be nurturing parental figures - never overwhelmed the narrative. The artwork by Itoko Maeno - whose illustrations appear in the beautiful picture-book Minou , also about cats - is delightful, capturing the expressions of each feline perfectly!
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June 20, 2021This is so cute! We just got kittens and so the timing was just perfect. The geography aspect was fun, too.
November 12, 2008
Piccolo is a carefree tomcat who lives in the narrow streets and alleys of Venice, Italy. He leads an independent life and is respected by the other cats in his territory. But one night he discovers something that threatens his carefree life and independence and starts him on a new adventure -- the adoption of two kittens who need a home and a mentor. In turn, they help him to discover his own tender heart. The gorgeous illustrations will appeal to cat lovers and children will also discover the world along the streets and canals of Venice from a cat's viewpoint.
I do sell this as a new book.
I do sell this as a new book.
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August 11, 2015It was about a tomcat in Venice, and there are facts about Venice in the cover pages. I learned about gondolas, regattas, and adoption.
December 8, 2017
A very catloving book for sure. It tells the tale of a streetwise tomcat that finds two kittens which get a bit clingy. By and by he comes to look out for them and finally raise them as his own. A neat little tale about single fatherhood. Sort of a Silas Marner for Cats (I can't believe I just said that). The artwork is adorable. You can hear purrs on every page. Lots of text. Somewhat satisfying although some pages feel a bit stiff. But very satisfying. I hope there are more in the series as this was a good origin story.
March 30, 2018
I like the message to disregard stereotypical gender roles
October 6, 2020
I liked how this book introduced another city and country to the reader if you aren’t familiar with Italy. We also liked that the main character was a cat.
April 25, 2021
This is a favorite read aloud for us
February 3, 2022
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book beautifully addresses gender roles and how to teach young men about nurturing. Great read!
April 1, 2009
A note at the end of this book indicates that the author wanted to depict a male being a good single parent, so she did it with cats. Piccolo reluctantly, at first, adopts two stray kittens, and teaches them how to take care of themselves. It's so cute, and takes place in Venice. Questions at the end of the book can be used for discussion. Recommended!
September 8, 2016
Oh, this is a good one, and not just because it starts and ends with a lot of facts about Venice and Italy. This picture book about Venetian cats starts off simply but becomes quite complex by the conclusion. There's a lot of possibilities for discussion from this book, and the author includes a page of possible discussion topics for educators. Very nice!
October 16, 2010
Piccolo is a tomcat who prowls the waterways and alleys of Venice. One day on a bridge he discovered a box containing two small kittens who had been abandoned. Who will take care of them? This is a great story about compassion and responsibility, and it's beautifully illustrated too!
August 12, 2011
This was a great way to introduce Italy/Venice to my animal loving children. The last page of the book has a lot of mumbo jumbo about "gender rolls" etc that is enough to make me gag, but I didn't read that part to the kids!
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March 19, 2013I was unable to read the book - hence the lack of a rating. It was unreadable (due to the small print I could not increase) on my Android app, and refused to open in my Kindle for PC. It looks like a cute book, though.
May 3, 2015
Not all families look alike. I enjoyed the unique representation of an adopted father in this book. My daughter loves the illustrations. though it's an ambitious book for a two year old it was one of the first that she memorized. She has been "reading" it to us for over a year now.
October 17, 2015
I really liked this tale of a cat named Piccolo who lives in Venice. The story was cute and the water color illustrations were delightful. The inside covers give good information about Venice also.
March 29, 2008
Everyone needs someone! And adoption is a wonderful thing!
April 16, 2012
About a boy cat in Venice that ends up raising kittens. Just an "eh" book. Read once and never requested again (and that from a girl that LOVES cat stories.)
June 25, 2013
A story of a male cat and a fun adventure caring for stray kittens. Themes: Caring for those younger, adventures in Venice, Italy. Nice illustrations.
August 4, 2015
Very cute story!! My daughter had me read this over and over and stil when she sees it wants to read it again!
February 21, 2011
Week 3 w/ FIAR. I'm in love with this book!
July 17, 2013
Good for when we study Italy
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January 13, 2019The illustrations are great and offer wonderful segues from the text itself for "exploring" Venice. The themes are layered well; with the author keeping them light and enjoyable. See why we love this single dad story.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews