SOFIA'S STOOP
STORY
18th Street, Brooklyn
Author: Maria LaPlaca Bohrer
Illustrator: Steve Johnson
Illustrator: Lou Fancher
Kirkus Reviews
18th Street, Brooklyn
Author: Maria LaPlaca Bohrer
Illustrator: Steve Johnson
Illustrator: Lou Fancher
Kirkus Reviews
Review
Issue Date: February 1, 2014
Online Publish Date: January 22, 2014
Publisher:Blue Marlin
Pages: 32
Price ( Hardcover ): $17.95
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-9885295-2-6
Category: Picture Books
Online Publish Date: January 22, 2014
Publisher:Blue Marlin
Pages: 32
Price ( Hardcover ): $17.95
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-9885295-2-6
Category: Picture Books
A richly
sentimental picture of a Sunday gathering from the author’s youth.
In
present tense, Sofia recalls sitting on the stoop with her six cousins
listening to Uncle Frankie’s tale of the time he met Carl Furillo. As he
regales the gathering, she’s repeatedly called away to fetch cheese and other
ingredients from local shops for Nana’s meatballs. Though she uses effectively
evocative names and cadences in speech, Bohrer gives Nana an accent that is
overwrought to the point of parody: “Bella mia, go downa to D’Amico’s
Bakerya, get two loaves o’ Italiano breada, fresh Italiano breada,
make sure isa fresh. And, we needa some cannoli for desserta.”
When everyone’s finally called in for dinner, Nana promises to save Sofia
“braciole and a nicea sweet sozeecha” while Frankie stays outside
to fill the little girl in on the parts of the story she missed. Johnson and
Fancher incorporate glimpses of old news items and handwritten recipes into
loosely brushed scenes of the stoop, neighborhood and an antique kitchen, but
aside from Uncle Frankie’s plaid pants, the setting has a timeless quality. It
is capped, as is only proper, with a mouthwatering meatball recipe.
Though a
little heavy on the ethnic flavoring, the memories are as rich and savory as
Nana’s homemade sauce. (afterword) (Picture book. 6-9)