Mangia mangia is Danielle Savoia’s first bilingual children’s book. It’s an illustrated story created for young readers, but one that also speaks to adults—especially those who grew up in an Italian-Australian family.
The idea took shape after the birth of her daughter, Milana, and from Savoia’s determination to raise her bilingually, keeping a strong connection to her family roots.
A second-generation Italian-Australian, Savoia remembers her grandmother as a central figure in her childhood—always ready to feed, care for and nurture those around her.
Rather than following a linear storyline, the book brings together small everyday moments: food, church, faith and the simple gestures that shaped a generation.
Written in both Italian and English, Mangia mangia is a tribute to the passing down of language—made up of dialects, mixed expressions and heartfelt attempts to keep words alive.
The digital-style illustrations were chosen to resemble Savoia’s grandmother and child as closely as possible, turning the book into a visual and emotional bridge between past and present.
Self-published and available online, the book is aimed not only at children, but at anyone who wants to rediscover, through language, parts of their childhood.
