"Oh that I were where I would be,

Then I would be were I am not"

is the daydreams of two 19th century Italian children—and promptly Peter Spier's collection of nursery rhymes and riddles and his color-filled pictures transport the two on a wonderful journey through an imaginary kingdom.  In that kingdom there are vineyards and monasteries, great estates and humble farms, and, of course, there is also in that kingdom a city—a city with high walls and higher towers, as well as a weedy yard, a winding lane and a broad street.

Young readers of every age will view these scenes from Italy with as much delight as the two daydreaming children of the book, for the keys to Peter spier's kingdom are nothing more than curiosity, a sense of humor and an eye for beauty.

From the dust jacket