Let’s cut to the chase …
I am an Italian professor, and thus, I am a bit of a purist (read: snob) when it comes to books based on or set in Italy. I’ll find one spelling mistake (biscottos) or a random incorrect fact, and I get right up on my horse, look down my nose, and turn away with disdain dripping from my every gesture.
Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I do wholeheartedly wish that authors would do a little research before crafting a tale about the bel paese. Of course, I realize this obsession is but a quirk of mine alone, and I’ve actually come to embrace books, especially picture books, that bring a little bit of Italy to their readers.