The colouring Christmas book

The story behind the Christmas colouring book

Claudia R.

1/17/20263 min read

Ciccio and the children
Anyone who has stayed here knows it well: Ciccio is playful, curious, and incredibly affectionate. Children are immediately drawn to him. Parents often tell us that even before arriving, their children already know Ciccio, and when they finally meet him, they instantly fall in love.
And when it’s time to leave, sadness often appears, along with a question repeated more than once:
“Where is Ciccio?”

One story touched us in particular. A four-year-old Italian-Dutch child stayed with us three times between 2024 and 2025. Among all his favourite experiences in Sicily, one stood above the rest: Ciccio.
Between visits, I would speak on the phone with his mother, who told me how often her son asked about Ciccio. While walking around his hometown, every time he saw a border collie, he immediately thought of his friend Ciccio.

The colouring book that tells our idea of hospitality

This first blog post is born from a simple, true story, one that is deeply connected to what La Collina dei Nebrodi means to us: a home, a family, a place where genuine connections are created.
For Christmas, we decided to gift the children staying at the villa a colouring book, titled “La Collina dei Nebrodi, Christmas Edition”. The main character could only be Ciccio, the villa’s border collie.

When he returned to the villa, we knew how emotional it would be for him to see his four-legged friend again. It was then that we began reflecting on this special bond and on how to make it last over time, even when distance separates us.

The idea behind the book
That’s how the idea was born: a colouring book about Ciccio, to keep children company during their days at the villa, or to help them remember their friend once they were back home.

What started as a thought for one child soon became something larger. We realised it could speak to many children who had lived the same experience. And we asked ourselves:

“Wouldn’t it be special to receive, at Christmas, a colouring book featuring a character you truly loved?”

If you would like to download the book for free, please enter your email address.

A carefully crafted project
We therefore commissioned a professional illustrator, asking her to create hand-drawn illustrations. From the very beginning, two principles were essential to us:
- the drawings had to represent the villa as faithfully as possible
- the story had to reflect the values of our family

The Christmas story
The setting is Christmas time. Ciccio becomes the host, preparing the villa to celebrate together with his mountain friends:
the fox, the little sheep, the goat, the frog from the nearby pond, the kitten, and the eagle.
Together they decorate the villa, create handmade ornaments, gather fruits from the countryside (real, seasonal produce typical of this area) and then begin preparing lunch.

But Ciccio, with his kind and sensitive nature and his unconditional love, cannot fully enjoy the moment without thinking of someone else. Feeling grateful for what he has, he remembers Hedgehog, the quiet friend who struggles to express his emotions and who, over time, has been left alone.
Ciccio drops everything and runs into the mountains to find him. He discovers him cold, alone, under the rain, among the rocks. Ciccio brings him home, takes care of him, and welcomes him in.

Because Ciccio knows that what we have should always be shared with those who are less fortunate. Once reunited, the whole group shares a wonderful meal together.

This is Ciccio’s story. And it is also our Christmas story.

Because when you have something, a home, time, love, it is always more beautiful to share it, rather than keeping it all for yourself.