The Christmas Feast: A Fishy Tale by Diana Pishner Walker is the story of two Italian boys who are cousins. Their fishermen fathers taught them the skill, but one year, just before Christmas, the fathers become incapacitated and were unable to fish. So the boys decided to go catch the fish that were needed for the Christmas celebrations, even though they were too young to safely go out by themselves. A storm arose, but a bright light appeared in the sky and helped guide the boys back to safety. The book includes the background story of the “Feast of the Seven Fishes” and recipes for cooking cod and calamari. It is illustrated by Headline Kids Group. The book is for pre-teen readers. I enjoyed reading The Christmas Feast: A Fishy Tale. The book is a “feel good” story with a happy ending and fits a niche because of being aimed at a pre-teen audience. Children of that age might enjoy trying the included recipes with their parents. What I liked most about this book is the insight it provides into Italian culture. Author Diana Pishner Walker is Italian in heritage and clearly proud of it. The beautiful illustrations tell the story just as well as the text does; the text and illustrations complement each other perfectly. The importance of family and community are also emphasized. Everyone, whether pre-teen or older, will enjoy learning about the “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” I’m happy to recommend The Christmas Feast: A Fishy Tale.
