Ottavia e i Gatti di Roma
Ottavia é una gattina adorabile col pelo marrone striato e soffice e con macchie bianche sul torace e sulle zampine. Vive a Roma con sua madre e con i suoi fratelli. Non conosce ancora la sua cittá molto bene perché è troppo piccola per uscire di casa da sola, ma non importa perché la sua casa è GRANDE! Si chiama "Colosseo" ed è uno dei più grandi monumenti romani della città. È fatto di pietre ed è alto, tondo ed ha molte porte e finestre dalle quali sì gode una magnifica vista.
In English: Ottavia is an adorable little cat, with soft brown striped fur and white patches on her chest and paws. She lives in the city of Rome together with her mom and siblings. She hasn't seen much of her city yet, since she is still too young to be allowed outside her home. But that is not a big problem, because her house is BIG! It is called "Colosseum" and it is one of the largest Roman buildings in the city. It is made of stone and is tall, round, and has so many doors and windows that you can enjoy a great view no matter where you are.
Here’s my very brief Italian review: Mi è piaciuto molto la storia. È bella e i gattini sono carinissimi! Mi è piaciuto anche l'avventura. C'erano la gente gentili e un vecchio gatto bravissimo che ha aiutato i gattini persi. Mi manca Roma... (In English: I really liked the story. It is beautiful and the kittens are so cute! I also like the adventure. There were nice people and a great old cat that helped the lost kittens. I miss Rome...)
Ottavia e i gatti di Roma (Octavia and the Cats of Rome) by Claudia Cerulli and beautifully illustrated by Leo Lätti is a delightful bilingual children’s book. I read this book on Amazon Kindle and read it for free as I’m a Kindle Unlimited member. This book is great for my Italian language revision and for readaloud practice! I didn’t depend on the English translation as I’m already quite fluent in the Italian language; however, there are still certain new-to-me words such as rabbrividendo (shivering) and fiancheggiano (line, plural, as in “trees that line its banks”).
Although rather lengthy for 3-year-olds—that is the recommended start age for this book—I think it’s much better for parents or older readers to read to them. The story is charming and educational. It brought back fond memories of my trip to Rome where I stayed for a month. Ottavia and her friend Giulio—the resident kittens of the Colosseum—have gone to all the places I’ve been during my trip!
Did you know that the kind people of Rome who regularly feed the cats are called gattare (in Italian that means “Cat Ladies”)? But of course there are also many men who love and feed the Roman feral cats. Cats are dear to my heart so when I read the city of Rome is home to the hundreds of thousands of free-to-roam feral cats and the city protects them, that makes me so happy! More reasons to love Italy!
In addition to the wonderful story of the two gattini (little cats) who venture out on their own to explore their city, and as a result get lost, this is also a fun and informative read. I particularly enjoyed the “Did You Know...?” section at the end of the book where the author points out brief interesting facts about who Ottavia and Giulio are, the history of Colosseum, the feral cats of Rome, and many more.
I recommend this book. Apart from it being a great read, the book also carries a good message of friendship and family, the kindness of strangers, and the spirit of adventure. There is indeed no place like home!
