Zitti zitti, fate piano

If you don't know what happens on the night between 12 and 13 December in certain parts of Italy (and indeed around the world!), it's because you haven't yet looked through this little book dedicated to an occasion that is celebrated every year, transforming the delivery of gifts brought by the Saint into a special moment for little ones and into important preparations and traditions to be handed down for older ones.

So here we are in the company of Santa Lucia and her inseparable donkey who, after reading a huge pile of letters from all over the world, full of the most varied of wishes, come to collect and pack gifts, sweets and coal and then... off into the night to make her deliveries! Because Santa Lucia moves in the dark, her arrival marked by a little bell, and she must not be seen.

In this story, Santa Lucia and the little donkey have a little mishap right on the threshold of the city walls (a city whose profile might remind you of Mantua), but unexpected help arrives on four wheels and the delivery is safe! So, it is still possible for her to go from house to house, without making any noise, eating milk and biscuits left by children for the Saint and carrots prepared for the little donkey, and giving back the gifts requested in due time by mail and many, many sweets and a little bit of coal!

After L'arrivo di Santa Lucia by Andrea Antinori and Noemi Vola, Santa Lucia (Una storia poco natalizia) by Alice Beniero, Coccodrilli, carbone e mongolfiere. È arrivata Santa Lucia by Marta Lonardi, it is now Laura Simonati's turn to reinvent and illustrate a tradition and story that is very dear to the people of Mantua and beyond.