An Italian Hand Story

Mandy always looked forward to visiting Nana. She would race her sisters into the magical house and run up to her holding out her hand. Her first words were always, Nana, will you do my hand? With a smile, Nana would rub a circle, round and round, in the center of Mandy’s hand, right on the tickly part of the palm. She would say, Questa sta la fontanella che ci beve la paperella… Mandy always wondered why Nana was so surprised that she wanted her to tell the story over and over again. It wasn’t just a children’s nursery rhyme to her. It was Nana’s Italian hand story, and it challenged this girl to become a storyteller just like her great-grandmother. Both tender and funny, this book will delight readers of all ages. The brilliant illustrations add to the memoir’s charm with Rebecca Reck’s conception of the unfortunate duck, secret staircase, and little Italian lady with lavender-white hair and gold-rimmed glasses. A pronunciation guide is included at the back of the book to assist with telling this classic Italian rhyme to your favorite loved ones.