This short but simply profound book reminds me how much I love Sharon Creech. Narrated by an angel who lives in a tower in Casa Rosa, Italy, the story is not only funny, but really poignant.
The angel speaks in a really endearing way--with confused words and grammar telling of all kinds of observations about "peoples." A favorite quote of mine would be the angel's comment on people's obsession with time: "Listen. You hear any ticking? No. You hear the world just being the world . You see any clocks in the sky? You see calendars on the trees?" (p. 84)
The angel--who is a little unsure of purpose or mission--is befriended by Zola, a girl who, for some reason, can see the angel when others can't and is often imploring, "Do something, angel." Together, Angel and Zola help the "hungry childrens" and revitalize and bond the aging community they live in.
This would make a great read-aloud--as would probably every book Sharon Creech has written. What great storyteller for all ages.