By Anne E. Moses and Gracie, an English Cocker Spaniel
Published on: October 31, 2019

Gracie, an English Cocker Spaniel, has written an illustrated, fun guide to all that Naples, Italy has to offer. At only 48 pages, the book starts off by providing us with a little bit of history of Naples, but soon Gracie goes on to tell us about famous areas we may see when we visit as well as places to eat and shop. But to truly understand and appreciate this city Gracie also gives us a taste of what life is like there and what to expect when visiting, such as what may happen to you when you stop at a red light while in your car.

Gracie isn’t all about tourist spots. She is happy to show off her home and her daily life not to mention all her friends. Naples truly has a lot to offer.

Here are some of the things readers will notice when reading the book:

• Each page has several illustrations on it – some big and some small showing all the various things Gracie is telling us about. There is one page where the pictures includes lots of arrows going every whichaway as they point out all the things people do on Motorini’s. I think I counted 11 different Motorini drawings on this page.
• The primary colors for the illustrations as well as the outlined/highlighted words are pink, bright green, and yellow. Although there are definitely other colors used they are not as dominant on the pages.
• The words are in all caps and appear to be hand-written. Because it is hand-written the text sometimes has a flow of its own as it helps highlight illustrations on the page, but sometimes the text also can feel a little bunched up. When there is an important phrase, famous place, or word that the author wants to draw attention to it is written over in pink, green, or yellow.

Overall, the short book has a lot of information to offer and can be fun to young readers. I think there will be some kids who really like having a book with a different look inside. However, I did miss having the words in mixed case, which is easier to read due to us reading not only the letters but the overall shape of the word.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Dog Ear Publishing for the reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Description:

CIAO GRACIE! THIS TIME THE PERIPATETIC POOCH GUIDES US THROUGH THE FASCINATING STREETS AND HISTORIC SITES OF NAPLES. SHE SAILS OFF TO EXCITING NEARBY ISLANDS, ENJOYS A POOCH PICNIC IN POMPEII, CLIMBS MT. VESUVIUS AND SAMPLES HER FAVORITE PIZZA AND GELATO ON THE WAY. GRACIE LEAVES NO COBBLESTONE UNTURNED AS SHE UNEARTHS THE QUIRKS AND UNIQUE TRADITIONS OF “LA PARTHENOPEA” – THIS GLORIOUS, MYSTERIOUS CITY ON THE BAY – BELLA NAPOLI!