RENATO AND THE LION

An important and memorable story of the love of art, family, wartime and immigration.

Renato is a young boy living in Florence, Italy, during the Second World War. He loves his home, his family and friends, and the wonderful artwork that Florence is famous for. He especially loves a sculpture of a lion in the Piazza della Signoria. But while the fighting of the war is far away, soldiers are everywhere. Renato's father fears for the safety of the priceless artwork, but he fears even more for his family. One evening, Renato finds his father building a stone wall around a famous statue to hide it from the soldiers who might hurt it. And that's when Renato realizes that his wonderful lion is even more exposed to danger. He needs to find a way to protect him, too, but time is running out before Renato's family must leave to protect themselves!

The stunning watercolor artwork captures the magic of Florence. Magic realism and a child's imagination lightens the subject matter--children will love the coming-to-life of the lion statue. The stoy is based on real Italian WWII history--famous statues (including Michelangelo's David!) were covered for years in protective stone and brick so that they wouldn't be harmed. Teh Author's Note will explain the fascinating real story behind this picture book.

Barbara studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and painting at the Art Students League of New York. In 2014 she received the Dorothy Markinko Scholarship Award from the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature. A lover of adventure, she has gone skydiving, hang gliding, whitewater rafting, and she loves to surf. She now helps to run an Italian restaurant with her chef husband and lives in central New Jersey with him and their young teenage son. Renato and the Lion is her debut picture book.