Mangia! Mangia!

by Amy Wilson Sanger

In her sixth book in the World Snacks series, Wilson Sanger pays tribute to dishes from the Italian table. From hearty minestrone and risotto stirred and stirred with heart to sweet, cool gelato, Mangia! Mangia! Introduces young tummies to tasty treats from the land of linguini. Rhyming text and colorful collage art show that there's much more to Italian food than spaghetti! The back cover features a glossary of Italian terms used in the book.

Genres: Food, Childrens, Picture Books, Nonfiction

20 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A board book family favorite that I've read to my kids since my oldest was a baby (purchased at Vroman's in Pasadena). It teaches several Italian words, with a couple mistakes. The illustrations are done using cut paper collage. The garlic is shown with real garlic skin! It's fun to read this with an Italian accent and a singsong voice.

[briz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all the food kids books (e.g. Dim Sum for Everyone) and I love kids books that feature Italy, so this was an easy win. Bilingual Italian/English rhyming couplets about food. I forgot that some Italian kids call their dad "Babbo" - so cuuuute.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Wilson Sanger gives young readers a taste of international cuisine with her World Snacks series. Fun rhyming text is paired with mixed media illustrations. Each book either has a pronunciation guide or a description of each food that's talked about. These books are great to include in a library with a focus on different cultures.

[Denine Benedetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could easily have been really cheesy, but it is not. As an Italian, I was happy to see a book I could share with my daughter that reflected some cultural and cuisine-related aspects without being offensive. I love this series as a whole, actually - Yum, Yum Dim Sum, A Little Bit of Soul Food, First Book of Sushi, Let's Nosh, etc.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will I look stupid if I say that I would have liked the book a lot better if in the glossary on the back cover they had a pronunciation guide?

[Bailey Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, the flow sucked. The sushi book is MUCH better.

[Puja Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books tells the reader about many different Italian dishes. It, also, describes the dishes using rhyming words, which makes the book flow well.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my son's favorite book.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Wilson's other food books, the illustrations are vibrant and cheerful but it could use a pronunciation guide. It's a nice mix of familiar and unfamiliar pasta and Italian food terms.