This is a children's book--well it says it's written for ages 8-12. And it is charming.
We meet an unnamed angel whose "territory" is a little town in Switzerland where the primary language spoken is Italian (I didn't know such a place existed in Switzerland!). When young Zola and her family move into our angel's house, Zola (a future social activist, to be sure) and the angel change the village and make it a happier place.
At first, the Italianate English of the angel was distracting, I thought, but I got used to it and even enjoyed some of the creative word combinations our main character, the angel, came up with. I felt bad for our little angel who seems to know nothing about itself, where it came from or who it answers to (kind of a common approach to all things spiritual these days), but I still found it a lovable character and not at all a tragic one.
This book has a gentle social message and a very uplifting conclusion. It is a sweet story that children and adults can both appreciate. I think it would be especially fun to read aloud. It's the first Sharon Creech I've read and it won't be the last.
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