Orani: My Father’s Village
Author & Illustrator: Claire A. Nivola
Publisher: Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux
Year of Publication: 2011
Genre: Biography
Horn Book or Kirkus Review rating: Hornbook Review of a 1.
Summary: Orani: My Father’s Village is a a story about the authors own experiences to Italy with her father. The author’s story recounts her frequent trips to her father’s village in Italy. The author talks about her experiences as a child in Sardinia. As she does this the author also informs the reader of what a person might experience in regards to culture, traditions, and food when visiting Italy, especially her father’s village.
Summary of Professional Reviews: According to Horn Book Reviews, Orani: My Father’s Village received an outstanding rating of a high 1. The review gives a description of the author’s life and where she grew up as a child. It also allows mentions her Sardinian birthplace and what it looks like. The review also informs the viewer of the wonderful illustrations that the book demonstrates.
Review by Sasha Ishak: Orani: My Father’s Village is an outstanding book with astonishing illustrations that bring the village of Orani to life. The different elements in the book bring the book to life and allow the reader to fully emerge in this small village of Orani. The illustrations are eye-catching to the point where the reader first notices them when opening the book. They stand out clearly and are full of details that do indeed make the book astonishing. They are realistic but yet to simplistic. It is like you are in the village experiencing everything it has to offer. The main character of the text is easily noticeable since she is wearing a red dress in every scene. The overall focus of the book is presented in the illustrations and that is Orani. The book doesn’t have a plot but it does have information about Orani and all there is to see while there. The voice in the book flows effortlessly making the book more inviting. In addition to the continuous flow of words Nivola allows the reader to experience a birth, marriage, and a death in the book which are all a part of life, but that I child can formally understand.
This book would be useful when teaching...
Publisher: Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux
Year of Publication: 2011
Genre: Biography
Horn Book or Kirkus Review rating: Hornbook Review of a 1.
Summary: Orani: My Father’s Village is a a story about the authors own experiences to Italy with her father. The author’s story recounts her frequent trips to her father’s village in Italy. The author talks about her experiences as a child in Sardinia. As she does this the author also informs the reader of what a person might experience in regards to culture, traditions, and food when visiting Italy, especially her father’s village.
Summary of Professional Reviews: According to Horn Book Reviews, Orani: My Father’s Village received an outstanding rating of a high 1. The review gives a description of the author’s life and where she grew up as a child. It also allows mentions her Sardinian birthplace and what it looks like. The review also informs the viewer of the wonderful illustrations that the book demonstrates.
Review by Sasha Ishak: Orani: My Father’s Village is an outstanding book with astonishing illustrations that bring the village of Orani to life. The different elements in the book bring the book to life and allow the reader to fully emerge in this small village of Orani. The illustrations are eye-catching to the point where the reader first notices them when opening the book. They stand out clearly and are full of details that do indeed make the book astonishing. They are realistic but yet to simplistic. It is like you are in the village experiencing everything it has to offer. The main character of the text is easily noticeable since she is wearing a red dress in every scene. The overall focus of the book is presented in the illustrations and that is Orani. The book doesn’t have a plot but it does have information about Orani and all there is to see while there. The voice in the book flows effortlessly making the book more inviting. In addition to the continuous flow of words Nivola allows the reader to experience a birth, marriage, and a death in the book which are all a part of life, but that I child can formally understand.
This book would be useful when teaching...
- A teacher can first use this book in a read aloud discussing literary elements presented. After the discussion the teacher can introduce an element known as descriptive adjectives. Here the students can describe simple objects like the sun using descriptive adjectives. This will give the students a clearer view of what the story is really about. Another element that is dominate in this book is Alliteration. The teacher can introduce the topic and have the student point out what Alliterations are preset in the book. Doing this will help students see exactly what an Alliteration consists of.