Sofia, la Piccola Matta Teaches Italian
Melissa Muldoon
Matta Press (2024)
ISBN: 978-1735176451
Reviewed by Diana Coyle for Reader Views (12/2024)
In “Sofia, la Piccola Matta Teaches Italian: Numbers, Colors & Beginning Italian Made Fun!” by Melissa Muldoon, readers are taken on a fun adventure with Sofia, a friendly and curious eight-year-old, and her loving beagle companion, Moka. To everyone who knows her in her town, they affectionately call her la Piccola Matta, AKA “the crazy little one.” She and Moka go on exciting adventures daily and she loves meeting new people while on their adventures together.
One day she meets a new boy who has just moved to her town. His name is Ty and he’s six-years-old. The only problem is he only speaks English. So, Sofia decides to invite Ty on her adventures with Moka and begins teaching Ty how to speak Italian by seeing things and learning the objects’ names. The three become great friends and Ty begins learning basic Italian every time they go on an adventure together.
This children’s book was a fabulous read! The way Ms. Muldoon tied in Sofia, Ty, and Moka going on amusing adventures together and in the process teaching readers easy Italian words and phrases was ingenious. Approaching learning Italian this way allowed the readers to put less focus on learning a new language, which can be stressful sometimes, to making it an amusing adventure for each reader to enjoy. Honestly, this book would be great for adult readers to learn some basic Italian in an easy-to-learn approachable format as well.
Muldoon included such study references as an Italian pronunciation guide, different ways to greet people in Italian, suggestions on how to practice your Italian by doing different word games, and even suggested the idea of going for a walk to see how many things you can name in Italian. She offered a variety of ideas to experiment with while learning Italian.
The illustrations, which were also done by Ms. Muldoon, were provided on every page for her readers to follow along with her written words. The reader will enjoy looking at these vibrantly colored illustrations as they continue learning new Italian words on every page.
Interestingly enough, Ms. Muldoon is not only an author, but also an Italian language and culture teacher through her books and blog. In addition, she is an artist and a professional book designer. If that doesn’t keep her busy enough, she is also the managing director of Matta Press, the publisher of her books.
“Sofia, la Piccola Matta Teaches Italian: Numbers, Colors & Beginning Italian Made Fun” by Melissa Muldoon is one book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Her approach to teaching allows readers young and old to learn Italian in an easy, enjoyable, and stress-free way. This book comes highly recommended!