SuitabookNonna tell me a story
Lidia Bastianich
- Reading
- Read the story first, pausing to notice the family relationships and materials used for decorations. Afterwards, choose a recipe or decoration to discuss or attempt together, with an adult leading the practical decisions.
- Themes
- Family memory and intergenerational connection: The adult narrator recalls childhood Christmases with her grandparents and shares these memories with her five grandchildren. Family storytelling and shared traditions are presented warmly as ways of connecting generations.
- Food, making and seasonal tradition: Cooking with Nonna Rosa, preparing holiday treats and making decorations are central parts of the remembered Christmases. Practical making is presented as part of family celebration and remembrance rather than as background detail alone.
- Cultural and place-based Christmas customs: The book presents childhood Christmases in Italy and describes traditions carried through the narrator’s family life with her grandchildren. It offers an account of one family’s Christmas customs, connecting place, food and heritage.
- Worth knowing
- Recipes are part of the book, and preparing them clearly requires adult assistance. Cooking and collecting materials for decorations are best treated as shared activities, with an adult deciding what is suitable in practice.