Pizza!: A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli

Abstract

Reviewed by: Pizza!: A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli Elizabeth Bush Pizzoli, Greg Pizza!: A Slice of History; written and illus. by Greg Pizzoli. Viking, 2022 [56p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780425291078 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780425291092 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-8 yrs Pizzoli offers up a startling stat: "In the United States of America, we eat 350 slices of pizza every second." The factoid doesn't come with specific verification, but it's safe to say that, yes, we do eat a boatload of pizza, and yes, his target picture book audience scarfs down their fair share. Inquiring young minds surely ponder the origins of the gastronomic social leveler, and this title brings them up to speed on murky legendary origins (maybe ancient Greek flatbread, maybe Persian military fare cooked on a shield), sturdier historic lore (Raffaele Esposito, who charmed Queen Margherita of Naples with a pizza named for her), and a plausible contender for the introduction of pizza to the USA (Genarro Lombardi of, where else, New York). From there it's a sprint of expanding popularity and culinary innovation through the twentieth century, culminating in the range of stateside and international interpretations that will have listeners arguing over whether such exotica even counts as pizza. Pizzoli's four-color print illustrations—in Italian-themed red, white, and green, complemented with swaths of doughy yellow—sport the wry humor his fans have come to recognize. Esposito rides horseback, rushing to-go boxes of pies to the royal court, while the Grim Reaper tempts a victim with a tomato once thought to be poisonous. Finally, as the perfect leftover to save for another day, Pizzoli concludes with a simple recipe for making toaster oven pizzas with English muffins. Pizza for breakfast. Of course! [End Page 363] Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois