Carole P. Roman Talks About If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
What is your favorite place(s) that you’ve visited in your travels?
I have been to many countries as well as all over our country. I loved traveling down to Florida with my family from New York in a car. The weather changes so subtly, with each passing state, layers of clothes peel off. We spent hours imagining ourselves as Northern and Southern soldiers. We discussed the terrain, climate, and the feeling of what it must have been like to fight a fellow countryman.
In Israel, we walked the Via Dolorosa through the dark, narrow passages of Jerusalem’s streets, or walked through the shuk smelling the spices and listening to the merchants hawk their wares. Greece was a different island each day, with new sets of customs, flavors, and food. I remember eating the most delicious chicken in Crete, or the freshest fish I’ve ever eaten in Rhodes after we walked the same streets as the Crusaders. In Turkey, we watched a guide pour water on faded, dusty tiles revealing that we stood in an ancient house of ill-repute and the stone seats we were watching from were actually a two thousand year old public toilets. In Paris we were too late to see the Gardens of Versailles—it was dusk and the gate was closed in our faces. Our resourceful driver got us in through a little known secret passage and we drove with the windows open and our faces in the wind among the rows of perfectly manicured trees that whispered at us in the silence. I could swear I heard ghosts of laughter and people on horseback romping playfully in the gathering darkness. Switzerland brought us an experience of eating in a four-hundred-year-old restaurant with a meal that was as popular then, as it is now, but I remember the silky ice cream made from brown cows best.
Stonehenge in England, sits on a hill, where the wind blows through you. If you stand still, you feel the magnetism of this special place. The Tower in London held a room where Edward and Elizabeth’s princes were imprisoned. The room weighed down on us heavily. The mighty David stared down at me in all his glory in Florence, and Brunelleschi’s orange dome on the top of il Duomo is the icon I couldn’t wait to see. However, it was Ghiberti’s bronze doors called The Gates of Paradisethat actually took my breath away—that and discussing with my kids about the people buried in the church, Machiavelli and Galileo to name a few. In the South of France we walked through the winding streets of St. Paul de Vince gazing at the riot of flowers that must have influenced all the impressionist painters that ate in the little cafes. In Rome, I put my hand in the famous stone opening called the Bocca of Verita or Mouth of Truth, waiting to see if my fingers would be there when I pulled it out. Standing in the vast Coliseum made me feel like a small speck of humanity. But, I had the same feeling driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in the moonscape we call Death Valley. We imagined being settlers rolling along, 20 miles a day with no supplies.
So, can I pick a favorite place? Anywhere I go I will find a memory to store up in my own vault of thoughts. I don’t think it is so much where you go, as it is whom you are going with and the people you meet there.
Italy is such an amazing place with so much culture and history. Did you have trouble deciding which parts to include in your book?
YES! But, I have to say I have the same problem with all the places I write about. There are such interesting customs everywhere; you have to try to pick the ones that will spark the best conversations.
Did you learn anything new as you did research for this book?
I always learn new things. I loved learning about International Woman’s Day. I thought it was a wonderful holiday to honor women in your life.
What is next for the If You Were Me and Lived in…series?
We are in the process of coloring Egypt. I have the following ready, when Kelsea can start to draw: Poland, Brazil, and Israel. I have a new series starting and we are in the middle of illustrating it. It is the same concept as this series but it involves seeing different time periods though a child’s eyes. Ancient Greece, Italian Renaissance, Elizabethan England, and Colonial America are in the process of completion.
What is one place you would love to visit but haven’t made it to yet?
I would love to see the Taj Mahal and the Aurora Borealis.
What is one thing you hope children take away from reading this book (and the others in the series)?
There is a wonderful world filled with beautiful places to see and customs to learn about and respect. Knowledge is power and the books are there to open a gateway to discuss and learn that as humans our wants and desires are pretty much the same—and we have wonderful different ways to showcase that.
About the Book
Join Carole P. Roman as she visits the Republic of Italy. Learn what it is like to live in Rome, see the famous architecture, celebrate a favorite holiday and discover popular names for both boys and girls. Be fascinated with it’s diverse and rich history and colorful traditions. On the way, you might learn a word or two in Italian!
The If You Were Me and Lived In … Series is available on Amazon.
Ages 4-8 | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | 2015 | 978-1519241412
About Carole P. Roman
Carole P. Roman’s is the award winning author of the nonfiction If You Were Me and Lived in… series of children’s books. The first title in the collection, If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico, won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children’s Nonfiction in 2012. If You Were Me and Lived in…Russia and If You Were Me and Lived in…France were finalists in the Indie Fab Foreword Review Book of the Year. Norway and South Korea have also been named as Book of the Year with Rebecca’s Reads and Children’s Reader’s View Book of the Year. Roman has also found success with her Captain No Beard children’s books. Her debut, Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life, was named a Kirkus Best of 2012, received a Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award in 2012. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and very near her children.
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If You Were Me and Lived In… Tour Giveaway
Enter to win a complete autographed set of the If You Were Me series, written by award-winning author Carole P. Roman and illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga; including If You Were Me and Lived in … Italy: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World! Plus, the grand prize winner will also receive the Educational Insights Geosafari Jr Talking Globe.
Giveaway begins January 10, 2016, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends February 16, 2016, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy Tour Dates
Sunday January 10 2016
The Children’s Book Review
If You Were Me and Lived In … Series Giveaway
Sunday January 10 2016
It’s Fundamental
Author Interview with Carole P. Roman
Wednesday January 13 2016
Teacher Dance
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
Monday January 18 2016
The Fairview Review
Guest Post with Carole P. Roman
Monday January 18 2016
Strategically Thinking
Guest Post with Carole P. Roman
Thursday January 21 2016
The Children’s Book Review
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
Monday January 25 2016
5 Girls Book Reviews
Author Interview with Carole P. Roman
Tuesday January 26 2016
Icefairy’s Treasure Chest
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
Wednesday February 3 2016
Little Miss History
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
Sunday February 7 2016
Inspired by Savannah
Author Interview with Carole P. Roman
Tuesday February 9 2016
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In … Italy
Thanks for the giveaway chance. My grandkids would love this series.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com