The Black Olive Pizzeria

The Black Olive Pizzeria by J. Scott Russell (2022) A children’s book about a family that opens a pizzeria in a small town—and a story that certainly can be enjoyed by adults, but then, as an avid reader of children’s books, I admit I don’t generally differentiate. The story is told from the point of view of the kid in the family, whose father is a bit of a dreamer, and whose mother is more practical, but supportive. The father decides to open a pizzeria that sells exclusively pizza topped with black olives. Now, knowing what picky eaters my friends are (many of whom have never even tried a raisin, much less black olives or escargot), it’s obvious that this is a risky proposition—and the father is somewhat uncompromising. The one thing he has going for him is that the pizza is very, very good—that and perseverance, patience, and belief in his vision (all musts for new, small businesses). That there is an older, beloved Italian restaurant across the town square doesn’t help matters, but they decide not to “go to the mattresses,” and instead, support each other—a good example for all.