THE CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW, TREVOR LAURENCE JOCKIMS

What to expect: Sight-seeing, Travel, Adventure, Bilingual Text
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"Rome Romp! is the follow-up book to the very charming and well-crafted picture book Paris Hop! Grandma Goldie returns, this time traveling with her grandson Danny and his dog, Cappuccino. As they sit down in a café to prepare for their day of sightseeing, Cappuccino suddenly runs off, and Grandma Goldie and Danny give chase! The dog runs down the Spanish Steps, takes a dip in a fountain and leads them toward beautiful works of art and architecture up and down the streets of Rome. Eventually Danny and Grandma Goldie sit down in a park, where they are reunited with Cappuccino. The remarkable thing is that the whole chase has provided Danny and Grandma Goldie with the best possible tour through Rome, taking them from their café to the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain, while enjoying respites of spaghetti and gelato along the way. Cappuccino proves to be a perfect tour guide!

Like Paris Hop!, Rome Romp! takes an exciting and original approach to bilingual storytelling. Since the main characters are tourists, the book is able to provide essential vocabulary within a context that will make sense to the reader. It would certainly be a perfect book for anyone planning to take a child to Rome, as the introduction to the city, culture, and language is told in a fun and relatable way, but anyone interested in exposing a child to a new language and culture is sure to enjoy the book. Another charm of the story, quite unique among picture books, is the inter-generational structure of a grandparent and a grandchild travelling together. It’s fun and interesting to see the relationship between Grandma Goldie and Danny evolve over the course of the day, and to watch the way they relate to each other’s interests and energies. Finally, the rhyming pace keeps the story moving forward by providing palpable energy to this exciting international tale of art, culture, language, food, fun, family—and dog chasing. Bellissimo!"

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, KATELYN HENSEL

"Romp Romp is a super cute book that is sure to inspire a love for travel into the youngest of readers! Margie Blumberg does an excellent job of creating a fun, adventurous, enjoyable read for little ones. Utilizing Italian phrases, it's a fully immersive story about a trip to Rome for one lucky kid and his grandmama!

"The writing was solid, easily switching between Italian and English in a way that readers of both languages would be able to pick up. I was also impressed that the story managed to rhyme and have a lyrical sort of flow while still using two different languages! Illustrations were adorable and fun, showing realistic people and cute animals on the trip to Rome, as well as classical architecture, beautiful representations of art, and the sights and sounds of one amazing trip to Rome!

"I especially liked that the main characters were a grandma and grandchild. That relationship isn't explored as much as it should be in children's books and I love that this book celebrates the fun of spending time with grandparents. Even though Romp Romp is a children's book, it helps convey the idea that grandparents are exciting and interesting people who have a lot of life under their belt and can share those fun experiences with their young family members. I would definitely buy a copy of this book for my new niece so she can start to build a love for travel and adventure early in life!"

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, JACK MAGNUS

"Rome Romp! is a children's picture book written by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by Renée Andriani. Grandma Goldie is planning on showing her grandson Danny all the sights of Rome, and they're beginning their day with drinks and biscotti. Everything is going according to plan until Danny's puppy, Cappuccino, decides to chase after the birds in the piazza. Danny's upset, but Grandma Goldie knows they'll be able to track down the errant pup. He takes them on a merry chase, down grand flights of steps and past a fountain where Cappuccino takes a fast dip before continuing on with his adventure. Along the way, Grandma Goldie and Danny get to explore beautiful artwork, have a spaghetti lunch, and sight-see the Coliseum and other Roman antiquities.

"Margie Blumberg's children's picture book, Rome Romp!, follows the two intrepid tourists as they race through Rome in search of Cappuccino, Danny's puppy. Renée Andriani's illustrations are a marvelous accompaniment to the verses that make up this adventure travel story. I especially appreciated the glossary and pronunciation guide of Italian words and phrases that precedes the story, and was impressed with how naturally those words and phrases were incorporated into the story. Rome Romp! is sure to fire up the imaginations of young readers as they follow the chase through Rome and see all the sights this historic city has to offer. This book's action-packed travel adventure will liven up story time, but it's also a grand selection for young readers. Rome Romp! is highly recommended."

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, HILARY HAWKES

"Rome Romp! written by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by Renée Andriani is a children’s story set in Italy. Danny, his grandma, and little dog, Cappuccino, set off for a day of sightseeing in Rome on a motorbike. But before they get far with their day, Cappuccino runs off after birds. Danny and Grandma then rush to search all over the city in pursuit. En route to find Cappuccino, they see many wonderful sights. Eventually worn out, they take a break for ice cream, but will they ever be reunited with the little dog so they can all get safely home by sunset?

'Rome Romp! is a sweet and charming tale that introduces children to the Italian language. At the start of the book, a short glossary explains the meaning of some Italian words used in the book. Throughout the story these words are cleverly introduced into the text – for example “Oh cielo, oh my!” or “Forse he’s having a dip!” A lovely way to teach a few new words and phrases. The story is engaging and fun, and takes the reader around some of the wonderful tourist sights of Rome. I loved the adventurous and energetic grandma — and how sensible to stop for spaghetti and ice cream! The text has a rhyming nature to it, making the story bounce along from page to page. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and complement the story perfectly — colorful and beautifully drawn with lots of detail, reflecting the character and atmosphere of the city and Danny and Grandma’s adventure. Page 24, with the wall paintings, is wonderful and I especially love the warm and cosy bedtime picture on page 43.

"A clever and entertaining story — perfect for sharing with a child or group of children. You could go back through the book and practice saying the Italian words together after reading. Margie Blumberg's story is fun, educational, and beautifully put together, and it would make a very worthy addition to any child’s home or class library. Sincerely recommended."