Francesco Tirelli loved to eat gelato from his uncle's cart. So when he moves from Italy to Hungary, Francesco decides to open his own ice cream store. There young Peter learns to love ice cream as much as Francesco did. But when the war comes and Francesco closes his shop for the winter, he uses the shop for a special purpose―to hide his Jewish friends and neighbors from danger. This heroic tale is based on true events.

I loved the way the illustrations captured the emotion of the page. What a lovely tribute. ( )

An Italian man, Francesco Tirelli, moves from Italy to Hungary and decides to open a gelateria in Budapest, despite the critics who say otherwise. Years later when World War II breaks out and his Jewish neighbors are at risk, Francesco provides shelter for many in his ice cream shop. There, his teen-aged neighbor Peter is among those upset about Hanukkah passing by in such isolation, so he fashions a makeshift menorah to help celebrate.

This book was poignant and beautiful. Although it is a Holocaust story, it is not by and large sad. It focuses on the good aspects of humanity rather than the bad. Don't get me wrong, the stories of those who did not survive the Holocaust, and the horrors faced by those who did, are also important. But sometimes, especially when presenting something for very young children, it can be good to focus on the helpers. In fact, what I really liked is how both Francesco and Peter saw problems and realized that they couldn't just leave the solutions up to some unknown person or to some kind of cosmic fate. The fact that this book is based on a true story is even more inspiring, and it's lovely that Peter's daughter-in-law is the author.

In addition, I liked that the story was well rounded; although the Holocaust story is greatly important and at the core of it, we start many years earlier with a young Francesco and end many years later with an elderly Peter. The language used for the text often rhymes and is sometimes quite evocative. I confess that I actually learned quite a bit by reading this book and not just Francesco's and Peter's story. There were quite a few cultural mentions that I had to look up. For instance, I did not realize that a menorah might also be referred to as a hanukkiah. There were also several Hungarian culinary dishes about which I was previously unaware.

The illustrations are interesting, with a blend of the fully realized and the ethereal. There is a lot to see and observe within them. An author's note rounds out Peter's life story for those interested in hearing more. ( )

Francesco Tirelli loved to eat gelato from his uncle's cart. So when he moves from Italy to Hungary, Francesco decides to open his own ice cream store. There young Peter learns to love ice cream as much as Francesco did. But when the war comes and Francesco closes his shop for the winter, he uses the shop for a special purpose―to hide his Jewish friends and neighbors from danger. This heroic tale is based on true events.