PISA LOVES BELLA

The Leaning Tower of Pisa suffers an identity crisis in Lovato’s picture book.

Bella the Bell Tower resides in Pisa, where she’s known as the Leaning Tower and is a favorite amongst tourists and residents alike. But when four children criticize her stature and angle, she spends an entire night working hard to correct it. “My columns were GROANING. / My heavy bells SWUNG and / My marble was MOANING.” In the morning, she’s straighter than ever and capable of spotting distant scenery she hadn’t known before, but locals and visitors bemoan the transformation. It isn’t until Mayor Luigi approaches her to talk out her problems and help her find her true beauty once again that Bella is able to set herself to rights by returning to life at an angle. This rhyming picture book from Lovato conveys a welcome message about self-esteem. Its enthusiasm masks a weak narrative hinge, however, as the four bullies who upset Bella make very lukewarm comments that don’t match the vehemence of Bella’s reaction. Still, Luigi’s nuanced understanding of Bella’s sadness carries within it an important lesson about overcoming meanness. Bongini’s vibrant color illustrations bring life to the city of Pisa and are sure to engage young readers interested in Italian culture and travel.

A cute story about kindness and self-love for worldly preschoolers.