Can Anyone Help with an Italian Rhyme that Starts with “Tratra, Tratola”?

Javier sent us the text of a rhyme his great-grandmother would recite when he was little growing up in Argentina. She was from the Italian region of Pavia, so some words could be in Lombard. He wishes to know if anyone knows it to correct and complete it as it most probably suffered many [...]

Looking for Help with an Italian Song that Starts with, “Venite va ragazzi Domani vado via”

Brian Romano wrote asking for help with an Italian song his grandma sung: Ciao Lisa, I have a song that needs to find its roots. When I was a little boy, my maternal grandma and her sisters taught all their grandchildren this simple ballad: (My apologies if I've gotten pieces misspelled) Venite [...]

Can Anyone Help with a Sicilian Children's Song?

Here's an email we received asking for help with a Sicilian kids song: My Sicilian American mother and aunts used to sing us a song that I can only say in what I'm sure are totally incorrect sounds. While rocking us back and forth on their laps they would sing in Sicilian what sounded like: [...]

Hopscotch in Italy

Written by Emanuela Marsura, a schoolteacher from Italy. Emanuela is interested in reviving the old-time games of childhood. A time when all children would play outside together, regardless of age. A time when most games were played with inexpensive objects that everyone can easily find. A child [...]

Can Anyone Help with an Italian Kids Song about Africa, Elephants and Giraffes?

Margaret-Ann wrote asking for help with an Italian kids Song from her childhood. Here's her email: Hi Lisa, I'm trying to track an Italian children's song taught to me late '60s/early 70's by a friend who had just returned from living in Italy. We were about 10 years old at the time. The song [...]

Call Anyone Help with an Italian Rhyme that Goes “Questo la mangia pizza”?

Katie A. wrote asking for help with an Italian rhyme from her childhood. Here's her email: I was wondering if you could post this to help me find out what it was. When I was little my great grandma used to some kind of rhyme in Italian with our face. It went something like this:

The post [...]

Can Anyone Help with a Calabrian Italian Lap Rhyme?

Rosemarie wrote... My Calabrian grandmother bounced us on her lap saying: (Bad phonetics) Cho, cho cho, che bella cavalle che passemo e quien che cavalle, (name) la marescial Does anyone know this and have the correct words? Thanks. Love your site. Rosemarie If anyone can help with this rhyme, [...]