All the Way to America

All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino
2011

     Dan Yaccarino tells the story of his family starting with his great-grandfather's journey from Sorrento, Italy to New York City.  When his great-grandfather came to New York he brought with him a little shovel he used in the fields in Italy.  As the different generations of Yaccarinos prosper in the US, the shovel gets passed down from fathers to sons always becoming a part of their new life and endeavors.  The shovels goes from the fields, to being used to measure flour and sugar, dried fruits, olives (as the family became store owners and restaurant owners), to pour salt outside of Dan's father's barbershop, all the way back to the ground as a shovel used by Dan's son, Michael, to grow vegetables in their city apartment's terrace.  Through all the years, the message passed down through the generations of Yaccarinos is to work hard and value family.
     All the Way to America is a moving family tale and a great read-aloud to introduce personal narratives as well as immigration units. It will be a fantastic conversation starter, that will have kids asking their parents where do their families come from...At the end of the day, we are a nation of immigrants.