All The Way To America

Have you ever felt the temptation to discuss immigration with the juvenile nation? 

THREE PROS

*Last time I checked, we are all immigrants (save about .1% of Native Americans or Hawaiians), so a book like this might be helpful in framing the idea of how we all got here 

*Dan Yaccarino is a very talented artist (I especially like the way he drew the houses on the hills of the Italian coastline)
*If the little shovel truly was passed down to each successive generation, that's a pretty cool symbol for a tight-knit family

THREE CONS 

*My son hasn't let my wife or I get to the end of the story yet either time we read it -- could just be bad timing on our part or a cue that he thinks it's a tad long too   

*While I liked how each family member had consistency in their wardrobe, I was surprised that grandpa and great-grandpa's hats were so similar (and made me think that the shovel wasn't the only thin getting passed down) 

*There's something funky about an illustrated pencil-thin goatee

ONE DAD'S OPINION
While I imagine the author's bullseye audience for this book was his own family, it doesn't ignore the rest of us in its attempt to chronicle Yaccarino genealogy.  A solid combination of artistry and message pushes it into the Borrow category without question.  Its semi-tediousness and relative lack of re-readability keeps it a continent away from earning my full purchase endorsement. 

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy