Module 10: All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino

Module 10: Historical Fiction
All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel by Dan Yaccarino

Yaccarino, D. (2011) All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel. New York, NY: Random House. 

Plot Summary

All the Way to America recounts the journey of an Italian family and the shovel that is passed down through four generations. 

The story begins with Dan Yaccarino's great-grandfather named Michael in Sorrento, Italy, who is heading to America to seek out new opportunities. He leaves his parents behind, but his father give him the advice, "Work hard but remember to enjoy life, and never forget family." He arrives at Ellis Island with the small shovel and his father's words. 

Michael uses the shovel to scoop flour and sugar at his first job in America. When he finally is able to open his pushcart, he uses the shovel to measure dried fruits and nuts. Michael goes on to give the shovel to his son, Dan. Dan uses the shovel in his market and his son, Mike, used it to pour salt in front of his barbershop when the sidewalk got icy. Now, Dan, Mike's son and author of the picture book uses the shovel to work on his terrace in order to grow fruits and veggies.

Impressions

My favorite part of the picture book was the illustrations. They are so fresh and fun that you can't help dwelling on them. The illustrations perfectly capture the exuberance of the story. What I like most about the story is the love that you can feel for the author's family. At the same time, Yaccario's family tale is easy to relate to because America is a nation of immigrants. It is a nice way to incorporate the "American Dream" and gives the children a great take away: "Work hard but remember to enjoy life, and never forget family."

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews. (2011) All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel [Book Review]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dan-yaccarino/all-way-america/

"With clarity and deep affection, Yaccarino turns his family history into a story of enduring charm. He tells it in the first person: how his great-grandfather Michele Iaccarino was given a little shovel, the better to help out on the family farm in Sorrento, Italy. When Michele left for America, his parents gave him the little shovel and told him to work hard, enjoy life and love his family. The shovel becomes a talisman through the generations, as Michele—now renamed Michael—uses it in the bakery where he first works, and his son uses the shovel to measure beans and olives in the market and later in his restaurant, and his son opens a barbershop and uses the little shovel to pour salt on the sidewalk when it snows. His son is the author and illustrator, whose children now use the little shovel for the zucchini, tomatoes and strawberries they grow on their NYC terrace. The illustrations evoke each generation’s clothing, hair, posture and adornment exquisitely with simple forms, and facial features convey myriad emotions with the sparest line. The author closes with his great-grandparents’ advice—work hard, enjoy life and love family—and the back cover encourages readers to discover their own family stories. A gloriously warm celebration."

Publishers Weekly. (2011) All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel [Book Review]. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-375-86642-5

"He celebrates classic bootstrap success, subtly incorporating red, white, and green in his palette. Folksy and warm, this is a timely reminder that America is a nation of immigrants."

Library Suggestion

I think this would be a great tie in for learning about children's family tree. When I was in 7th grade, my class did a heritage project and I think this could be a cool lead in to a similar project for a younger crowd. All the Way to America makes you think about your background and your family, so it is a great way to get children thinking.