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In this book, a young girl named Mia has conversations with her grandmother that reveal some of their history, with an emphasis on "the need for food, shelter, and defense." Mia's grandmother explains that every "person who lived before us added to who we are, what we know, and what we can do." The first stop on their journey in the discovery of humanity is a visit to a natural history museum to see "Lucy,... one of our first grandmothers.... (One of) the first of us to walk on two legs."
The story continues to the first communities of humans, touches on the Bronze Age, and then into specifics of Italian and Venetian history and culture, including a Venetian timeline, from the invasion of Attila the Hun to the present. Transportation is a subject that the author refers to repeatedly to explain the special circumstances of traveling in a city of which a significant percentage is under water. Bright illustrations enhance the text, and "Education Support Activities" encompassing categories in the sciences, geography, and the humanities complete the book.
Pereira is a high school student who has created four books for children ages three to nine to discover some of Italy's history, sociology, science, culture, and art. The author's method of teaching a child through Mia's conversations with her grandmother reflects her own childhood experiences with her grandmother, whom Pereira credits with awakening in her an interest in, and deep appreciation for, culture and history. Her book might make an interesting addition to an elementary classroom or school library.