I picked up Papa Piccolo at the library last week as much for Adam and I as for Emma. The book, about a tomcat adopted by a pair of stray kittens, is set in Venice. The art is gorgeous, and I thought we could moon over our memories.

It's Emma, though, who's doing the mooning.

The first time we read the book, her eyes were filled with tears and she nearly wanted to put it down. The kittens disappear on a water taxi, and Piccolo's first reaction is "good riddance." A page later, though, he's alone on a bridge over a canal, fretting about the kittens' safety and wellbeing. As I said, the art is beautiful and the moment is poignant. But I'd have never expected Emma to get so caught up in it. I had to keep promising her there would be a happy ending so she'd let me read on.

Of course, a happy gondolier returns the cats, and Piccolo teaches them the ways of Venice. All's well that ends well.

The next time we read the book, though, all didn't stay well for long. When we reached the kittens' disappearance, Emma was once again on the edge of tears. Before I could remind her of the happy ending to come, she sighed. "He's just so lonely. I wish I could jump in the book and be his friend."

Wait till she reads The Great Gatsby. A world of classics is waiting to haunt this child.