Giveaway and Author Interview

 
Book Details:

Book Title:  Vivienne in Paris by Maria Castellucci Moore
Category:  Children’s Fiction (ages 5 to 9), 38 pages
Genre:  Children’s Book
Publisher:  Mascot Kids
Release date:   May 2, 2023
Content Rating:  G.  Suitable for everyone.

Synopsis:

Vivienne in Paris follows a young Parisian girl on a journey through Paris to find what makes her tick. Join Vivienne as she discovers the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the city that make her feel alive. What better place to explore, observe, and delight in her senses than Paris?

This book tells a story of mindfulness and insight into how the surrounding world can really move you. It unites curiosity, wonder, and marvel to enlighten, surprise, and tickle your deepest spirit. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that bring you the greatest joy.

Buy the Book:

Mascot Books

Amazon~ B&N
add to Goodreads
 
Since I seldom read a synopsis, I was surprised that this picture book was focused more on mindfulness than Paris. I guessed the content of the book solely on the cover and title. This was not a concern, just a surprise.
 
I roamed the streets of my city and saw it in a new light. I can’t wait to share with you what I discovered . . . 
 
When Vivienne decides to bike around her town, she is encouraged to do something new.  Her grandfather (grand-père) encourages her to take notice of what her heart and body tell her, He encourages her to look for and feel true happiness that is unique to her.
 
So Vivienne begins her journey to her favorite places around the city searching for unique observations and feelings that bring her joy. She attends the Palais Garnier opera house where, among other things, she takes in the beautiful decorations and the graceful movements of the dancers and the sound of the violins. These things make her feel calm and she appreciates the dance and music in a new way.
 
From the opera, she moves on to other places around the city that she loves.
 
The illustrations by Emanuela Mannello are beautiful and help to bring out the story.
 

My Concerns

The topic is worthwhile. For me, it equates to stop and smell the roses. However, as a picture book, I have a couple of concerns.
 
  • Each spread has a picture on one side and text on the opposite. I’m concerned that there is lots of text and it contains words that feel geared toward older children. Examples of some of those would be dapper, chapeaux, fedora, decadent, and itinerary. Here is a sentence,

“Peddling over the centuries-old stone streets flagged my eye, and I felt the breeze through my hair with a sense of freedom and delight.”

 
Parts of the story and text felt well beyond most four to six-year-olds’ understanding. However, it does seem like it would work for older children if an adult takes the time to explain the words and some of the concepts.
 
  • I would love to have seen some teaching aids at the end of the book.

Final Thoughts

Mindfulness is a good topic to introduce children to. My concern is that it might have helped to gear this book toward a younger audience where examples and pictures matched more equally. However,  if you read my concerns and feel your child is mature enough to understand the story and lengthy text, I recommend Vivienne in Paris. 

My thanks to Maria Moore for her interview and for kindly providing a book through iRead Book Tours. 

Meet The Author

 

Entrepreneur, first-generation American, writer, and mother to four children, María strives to bring passion and enthusiasm to all her endeavors. A lover of all things European, María has found great passion through her travels to Paris, Italy, Spain, and South America. Her affection for winemaking, foreign languages, the arts, ballroom dancing, and traveling has given María a unique and grateful perspective on life. Her love for her family and helping others through charitable giving has enabled María to thoughtfully curate purposeful life adventures.

María Castellucci Moore earned her bachelor of arts degree in finance from Dominican University on a tennis scholarship, and later pursued studying at New York University and the London School of Economics with a focus on global affairs. In 2016, with her siblings, María founded Castellucci Napa Family, a luxury wine and real estate brand. María runs her wine label and a family real estate development company in the greater Bay Area. She is a board member of the San Francisco Opera Guild and is enthusiastic about building opportunity and community through the arts.

Interview

  • Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.

I have many hobbies. My few favorites are ballroom dancing, flower arranging and watching football! I love the San Francisco Forty Niners and became a huge fan at a young age watching the team with my father growing up!

  • What made you write a book about mindfulness?

After some life experience, I realized that finding and cultivating unique joy is different for each person. The way to experience it uniquely is through your five senses and using your senses to discover and deepen your relationship with your self and the world around you. When you notice the world around you, the things around you change. 

  • Favorite dessert?

I am actually not a huge dessert fan, I would rather eat chips or pickles! If I had to choose, I would say an apple crisp. Something about the warm apples with cold vanilla ice cream is very satisfying. 

  • How did you do research for your book?

My book was based on real life experiences and feelings. My a-ha moment came just a few years ago when I discovered how to create lasting joy that was unique to me and I had to share it with the world!

  • If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?

I would love readers to feel my enthusiasm for life, learning and traveling through my adventure stories. Each story is a direct reflection of what I have learned and the things that I, or my children love. It is an intimate shoe-into our lives.

Maria, thank you so much for sharing with us. It’s always so much fun to get a glimpse into an author’s life and personality. ~ Debbie

connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

Vivienne in Paris by Maria Castellucci Moore Book Tour Giveaway

 

If you purchase through the links in this post, I may earn a small commission. This helps support Pick a Good Book and allows us to continue bringing you great content.

 

2 Comments

  1. I appreciated your review in particular the vocabulary as I would use this book at our local library when they have regional awareness programs for the kids. Using this with the Madeline books may be interesting even if only the illustrations are used.

~Let's Share Thoughts~