Tony's Bread

by Tomie dePaola

Tony dreams that one day he'll become the most famous baker in northern Italy. His poor daughter Serafina wants to be allowed to marry. Each of their dreams seems far away until Angelo, a rich young nobleman from Milan, appears and devises a way to make everyone's dreams come true.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Italy, Food, Christmas, Fiction, Folklore

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 1989

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A (fictional) origin story of the wonderful Milanese specialty, Panettone! :)

Tony's fat daughter, Serafina, is shut away and lonely. But Angelo falls in love with her at first sight. I found this refreshing - a large girl with curly strawberry blonde hair, who is 'spoiled' by her father, is the object of adoration and doesn't have to change one bit to live happily ever after. It's a secondary narrative, really, but one I found refreshing and subtlely positive.

And who doesn't like panettone and Tomie dePaola? :)

I mentioned this in the A Book and Related Gift group here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... but I think I should have mentioned that the addition of a copy of Days of the Blackbird (somewhat harder to find - secondhand copies only, I think) or perhaps the easier to locate Merry Christmas, Strega Nona. For extra cultural points, you could up the Italian folktale content still further with the addition of The Legend of Old Befana

[Natalia Leston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text Set book #8

This book is an Italian fairy-tale-like folklore book about a young man who seeks a princess, and works with Pasta in order to gain her father’s respect. At the end of the story, Tony creates the Italian bread, panetonne. This book demonstrates how different one cultures side dish can be from another.

I would introduce the book in this way: “Introduction: In Italy, a country in Europe, there is a special kind of bread Italians and now anybody can eat during special occasions. Let’s to read to find about how this delicious Italian bread came to be.”

I would also include turn and talk questions, such as:

“Oh no, Tony is feeling insecure about his bread. He feels like the bread of Milan is way better than his. What would you say to Tony, now that you know about how there are so many different types of delicious breads in the world?”

Another class project I would do with my class would be to bring in panetonne and have student compare and contrast panetonne from the slice bread they eat in the cafeteria. By providing them with the hands on experience of exploring the new bread after being exposed to Italian culture, students would go into the exploration with an excited lens as opposed to critical of the new bread they may have never tasted.

This book also gives students insight into a small European town, and values the individual’s hard work and determination. One thing that I appreciate about this book is that it is a fairytale told from a “prince’s” point of view, instead of the typical princess.

[Talea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the many stories on the origin of panettone.

[Vania · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/★★★★★

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love of this author is the direct result of having had a fabulous 2nd grade teacher who actually cared about her job. She introduced us to Strega Nona and it was all over from there. If you hadn't guessed by now, I loved food themed childrens books so these were right up my alley. This author combines my two favorite things: food & fairy tales. In fact, it was because of this book, my husband & I made a point of trying Panettone bread last Christmas with our son. This is what I LOVE about reading. It exposed us to something new not only as a story in a book but an experience in the real world.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony’s Bread: An Italian Folktale by Tomie dePaola- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of a Baker named Antony who owned a Bakery outside grand village of Milano and his daughter Serafina. Tony has three sisters; one was named Zia Klotilda. People called him Tony. His wife had expired. Tony dreams to own a bakery in northern city of Milano. His daughter wishes to marry a loving and rich man in the baking profession. One day a rich man named Angelo arrives in Milano. He finds that the window curtain moves in the air and he views a beautiful Serafina weeping. He falls in love with her instantly. He talks to her three aunts to Tony, Serafina and about their dreams. Four of them, three aunts and Angelo plan to fulfil their dreams. He writes letters to Tony and Serafina. Tony visits Milano to see the bakeries and their products. Tony finds that his baking skill is inferior to that of bakers of Milano. His daughter and his son-in-law encourage him to bake with the help of sugar, fruits as ingredients. A day is fixed for inauguration of his Bakery and marriage of Serafina and Angelo. Bishop & other Police Authorities of Milano are invited. Residents of Milano arrive at his Bakery to purchase cakes, pastries, bread and other items displayed. People appreciate Tony’s bakery and all live happily forever. Till today, on Christmas, people of Milano eat Tony’s bread. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Bailey Winter]

Tony is the main character in this story and he dreams of becoming a famous baker in northern Italy. He has a daughter Serafina that wants to get married. Both are dreaming of things that seem far away and not reachable in their lives. Angelo appears in the story. He is a rich young nobleman from Milan. He devises a plan to make everyone’s dreams come true.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small town baker with big dreams, Tony longed to become the best and most famous baker in all of Italy. Devoting himself to his craft and to his beloved daughter Serafina, he worked hard, creating tasty bread and keeping his child well provided for. Then one day a wealthy Milanese man named Angelo arrived in the village, and falling head over heels in love with Serafina, enlisted the aid of that young lady's three aunts to make both Tony's dream and his own come true...

Published in 1989, Tony's Bread: An Italian Folktale was, together with Carolyn Croll's The Little Snowgirl , the debut of author/illustrator Tomie dePaola's Whitebird Books, an imprint with G.P. Putnam's Sons that published a variety of folktales from around the world. dePaola's foreword here indicates that he took liberties with the original tale, but what those liberties are I could not say, as he does not give his source material. This is unfortunately the case for all twelve of the Whitebird Books titles I have read thus far, a deficiency that prevents me from entirely taking the collection to heart. In any case, this was an engaging story about how panettone came to be, and combined an entertaining tale about success in baking and love with dePaola's charming illustrations. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to picture book readers looking for stories with an Italian cultural background.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story about a baker who came up with famous bread you can still buy to this day.

Tony is a baker, a good baker and he dreamed of going to Milan and becoming a famous baker. He had big dreams and a lovely daughter he doted on and kept away from boys. No one was good enough for his daughter.

Well, you know, love at first sight sometimes does work out. A rich man saw the daughter and since Tony wouldn't let anyone date her, he made Tony's baking dreams come true and won his daughter in the process.

The story was funny and charming and just a lot of fun. Set in the past, so much can be forgiven.

Tomie's artwork is on display and his potato people are back. His artwork is like your favorite pair of PJs. Comfy and you can relax while reading.

Any kid will enjoy Tomie's story her. It's well done and timeless.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book tells the Italian folktale behind panettone bread, a traditional bread associated with Christmas. A baker named Tony is manipulated by a nobleman and his daughter, Seraphina, into letting them marry. A fun story with beautiful artwork in Tomie dePaola's signature style.

[Breyanna Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A baker loses his daughter but gains a bakery in the grand city of Milano after meeting a determined nobleman and baking a unique loaf of bread.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run for Mr. dePaola!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see hero and heroine who aren't slim and gorgeous.

[Ksenia Roeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys enjoyed this story: good pace, engaging, good discussions about panettone

[Felicity · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books from childhood that I recently stumbled across. A lovely story which introduces young children to Italy too.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is well-paced and funny, with great illustrations.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it monkey bread?

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun folk tale of now panettone could have come to be.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The creatures still don't care about reviewing this book. Too busy eating hay.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like learning lesser known, to me, cultural traditions from Italy through many of dePaola's books. I've never heard of the bread it mentions but it sounded interesting.

[Grandma M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the Italian and the illustrations of course. The story is a little wack. Must remember it is an Italian folktale of how panettoni came to be.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute folktale from Italy. I liked it.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book presents an origin story for the Italian sweet bread panettone.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checked out from Kilbourn Public Library 📚 in Wisconsin

[Jessica Starzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was kind of ridiculous how quickly the two main characters fell in love, however I understand why it was. It was a “love at first sight” moment. I like how hard the prince worked to make everyone’s dream to come true. I thought it was funny that the baker used a flower pot to cook bread. I wonder if that is really possible.

Grade: PreK-3
Genre: traditional literature

[Andie Siegel]

Title: Tony's Bread: An Italian Folktale
Author: Tomie dePaola
Illustrator:
Genre: European Folkate
Theme(s):
Opening line/sentence: Once along time ago in a small village outside the grand village of Milano, there lived a baker named Tony.
Brief Book Summary: Tony, a baker in a small village has a daughter who is very marriageable but he thinks no man is worthy enough for her. When Angelo, a rich man comes to town and wants to marry his daughter, he gives Tony his bakery where he makes a certain famous bread, which makes him very rich and happy. Angelo gets to marry his daughter and Tony gets to run the famous bakery, and everyone wins.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
How did panettone , the rich Italian Christmas bread, get its name? With tongue firmly in cheek, dePaola provides this confection as a reply. Chubby Serafina, the baker Antonio's daughter, spends her days eating candy and weeping by the window. For although her father adores her and gives her the best of everything, Tony is convinced there is no man worthy of her. Then Angelo, a wealthy nobleman, falls in love with Serafina and enlists the help of three meddlesome ``aunties'' to win her father's approval. In return for Serafina's hand in marriage, Angelo sets Tony up in his own bakery in Milano, where he becomes wonderfully rich and famous from sales of an unusually shaped bread: pan di Tonio , or panettone . The tale is a typically charming dePaolian effort, and the illustrations abound with his trademark coziness. Another nice touch: like Tony's currant-filled buns, the story is sprinkled with Italian words and phrases, translations of which are cleverly woven into the text. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Children's Literature - Debra Briatico
Tony, the baker, dreams that one day he will become the most famous baker in all of Northern Italy and his daughter Serafina dreams that she will find a suitable husband. Angelo, a wealthy nobleman from Milano, comes to town and makes both of their dreams come true. With the help of three gossiping aunties, Zia Clotilda, Zia Caterina, and Zia Clorinda, Angelo devises a plan that helps Tony create panettone, the most delicious bread in Italy. After Tony becomes famous for his loaves of bread baked in flowerpots, he and Serafina move to Milano, where she marries Angelo and the three live happily ever after. Bravo to dePaola for creating this humorous and wonderfully illustrated original Italian folktale!
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I think these reviews really were speaking the truth about this book. I liked that they both mentioned the very stereotypically Italian elements that the book contained. I agreed with the reviews in that it was a humorous story that was quite charming and cute at the same time.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: I think the happy drawings really added to the story's coziness, just like the reviews said. All the illustrations were vibrant in colors and drawn to perfection when describing a typical Italian folktale.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I think I would use this book when talking about different cultures. It shows a great image of what old Italian villages looked like and the types of people found in them. Also, it tells the tale of how panettone was created which could be taught around the holidays, too.

[Erin Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read aloud that I used with my 2nd graders to discuss multi-meaning words. The kids and I enjoyed the story and the illustrations are phenomenal and iconic!

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

dePaola, Tomie. (1989). Tony’s Bread. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Annotation: For preschoolers to second grade. Tomie dePaola’s illustrations live up to his reputation of creating cozy warm characters and settings to supplement beautiful stories. This book is an Italian Folktale that tells the story of the creation of panettone, Italian bread. A baker, Tony, and his daughter, Serafina, are given the opportunity to move to Milano if Tony allows Angelo, a rich man, marry his daughter. Angelo also gives Tony his own bakery where he becomes famous for his light, rich Christmas bread. Additionally the story has Italian words in the written text that allows the reader to learn more about the Italian culture.

Personal Reflection: I have adored books by Tomie dePaola since I was a little girl. His illustrations are beautiful and his stories are about faraway places. Young children love stories about different cultures and faraway places and they will enjoy this Italian folktale. Furthermore, this book allows students to learn about where things come from. In my kindergarten class, a student’s grandmother brought panettone to class for us to eat, and she read us this story afterwards. This book could be used in the classroom (along with other books) to teach students about how different cultures have passed on their food and traditions to America.

[Fahima · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an Italian folktale by Tomie dePaola. It goes through the story of a character named Tony who is eager to have his own bakery in Milano and to become the most famous baker in Italy. He has a daughter named Serafina and Tony feels she is beautiful for any man in Italy and keeps her protected in the house, as he believes no suitor will ever be good enough for his beloved daughter. A passer-by named Angelo sees Serafina and instantly falls in love with her beauty and promises she will be the women he marries. But now he has the task of convincing Tony and offers him a proposal of owning his own bakery in Italy and for Angelo to marry Serafina. Tony agrees and this story goes on a journey of how Tony’s bakery expands and how he deals with having a husband for his daughter.

This book would be ideal for KS2 to read as a class as it is very engaging and the characters in this book have distinct personalities so they can follow on after reading this book to actually write a short paragraph on what the story is about. The book has some Italian words which the children would want to repeat and will enjoy such as ‘Che bella donna!’ and the translation is also present. This book is great fun and will allow the children to explore Italian heritage and follow each character and can also be used for drama purposes to act out each character.

[Becky Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tony’s Bread

K-4th grade

Tomie dePaolas illustrations are fun and colorful. They are simple and cartoonish in nature. The pictures are each framed and fill the pages and bring the story to life. The text is in English and incorporates Italian words and their meanings as well. The text is also used as part of the illustrations in letters that Angelo wrote to Signore Baker and Bella. This book may be appealing to children because it has a happy ending and everyone gets what they want.

Language Arts/Science

Science Example: Students can add different ingredients to a bread mixture and cook the bread in various containers. The use of yeast or lack of it could be an interesting experiment as well.