By Josephine Nobisso
Illustrated by Katalin Szegedi

When a poor devout widow begs for a scrap of bread from a rich faithless baker, she promises to participate in the king’s Wedding Mass as payment for the baker’s generosity. The baker writes “One Mass” on a scrap of paper and places it on his scale to determine how much bread it is worth. To his and the entire town’s surprise, nothing in the shop, not even the gigantic wedding cakes made for the king, outweighs the simple piece of paper representing the true worth of a Mass. Luminous old-world watercolor paintings grace the interior of the book and gold foil artwork lends an air of solemnity and sacred beauty to the story.

• Binding: Hardcover
  Pages: 32

Josephine Nobisso's first story appeared in a national magazine when she was 18. Since then, she has published over fifty books, mostly for children.

Each year, to rave evaluations, Miss Nobisso conducts about 100 workshops in "The Nobisso Recommendations: Guiding Students to Write in Their Authentic Voices," part of which comes to life in her book, Show; Don't Tell! Secrets of Writing. a book for which she received "The Global Learning Initiative Award" for "The Best Trade Book with Educational Application"-- a singular citation jointly administered by the Association of Education Publishers and the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

The National Catholic Educational Association named her "Distinguished Graduate," and Delta Kappa Gamma--the international society of honored teachers-- named her "Friend of Education," for "someone outside the profession who has worked significantly toward improving the educational opportunities of others, and who has given outstanding service to promoting quality education."

Among the very many honors that Miss Nobisso books have received are five other awards for Show; Don't Tell! Secrets of Writing: the International Reading Association/Children's Book Council "Children's Choice Award," an American Booksellers Association BookSense "Pick of the Lists" citation, a Parents' Choice Award, a National Parenting Publications Award, and was a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Finalist.

Born February 9, 1953, in the Bronx, Miss Nobisso homeschooled her daughter, Maria Nicotra, the Art Director of Gingerbread House, the press they founded together. Miss Nobisso and her family live on the East End of Long Island.