We spent a leisurely hour exploring Trastevere and walked into Ottimomassimo, an adorable children's bookstore on Via Luciano Manara. We were traveling without our kids, but I can't resist an inviting bookstore, and we went inside to take a peek.
It was absolutely lovely in there, just a happy place, full of colorful books and related merchandise. The aesthetic was kid-bait storybook with a cute dog mascot, but it was also sophisticated, artful and curated. The one book for adults I saw in there was an Italian translation of "What We See When We Read" by Peter Mendelsund, available by the register like candy in a check-out aisle.
Our kids don't understand Italian, and neither do we, so I was spared from buying a bunch of books to squeeze into our luggage. I couldn't resist a couple of Ottimomassimo T-shirts, though. They were really well designed and available in several colors.
If I were an Italian mom with Italian kids living in Rome, we'd be in this bookshop all the time. The families of Trastevere are lucky to have Ottimomassimo. You don't find places like this in every neighborhood. read more