"Let everyone say what they want: the best stove is always the sun."  (John Rodari)

 

 

 

October 23, 2020 marked exactly 100 years since the birth of Gianni Rodari.

 

 

Giovanni Rodari, known as Gianni, (1920-1980) was a writer, educator, teacher, journalist, and poet specializing in children's literature. He is considered the greatest fable writer of the twentieth century. After earning his teacher's diploma, he worked as a teacher for several years before embarking on a career in journalism. He contributed to numerous periodicals, including L'Unità, Il Pioniere, and Paese Sera. Beginning in the 1950s, he began publishing his children's works, immediately achieving great public and critical success. His books have been translated countless times and have received numerous awards, including, in 1970, the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of children's literature. In the 1960s and 1970s, he participated in conferences and meetings in schools with teachers, librarians, parents, and students. In 1973 he published Grammatica della fantasia, a point of reference for those involved in reading education and children's literature.

 

Bibliography:

 

Mr. Cat's Business: Feline Stories and Rhymes / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Turin: Einaudi, 1995

Rodari loved cats dearly and planned an entire book of stories dedicated to them. His untimely death prevented him from completing the volume, but the writings collected here (some of which were recently discovered among Rodari's papers kept by his wife and published for the first time) give a glimpse of his charming and entertaining project: a Mr. Cat with a vocation for commerce, felines with unusual names and professions, astronomical claims to the name of a star, old men discontented with their condition and ready to transform into cats.

 

Atalanta: A Maiden in the Greece of Gods and Heroes / Gianni Rodari; drawings by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1985

Abandoned as a baby on a mountain by her father, King Iasus, who desired a son, little Atalanta is raised by a bear under the watchful eye of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. Growing into a strong and courageous young woman, she sets out to discover the world and accomplishes extraordinary feats. Her courage, fortitude, and integrity put heroes like Theseus and Jason to shame, winning their respect and friendship. For the first time, Gianni Rodari explores the wondrous world of Greek mythology and tells, with his customary mastery, the story of a female character capable of leaving a lasting impression on the imaginations of today's readers.

 

The Adventures of Cipollino / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Francesca Ghermandi. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 2003

At stake in the clash between Cipollino and Limone is nothing less than the freedom of an entire people, composed of tomatoes, cherries, green beans, and old moles. Enchanting as a fairy tale, long as a novel, funny as a cartoon, "The Adventures of Cipollino" is a unique book, born in the atmosphere of enthusiasm and hope of the post-World War II era. The plot is straightforward: the good guys, oppressed by a tyrant and oppressed by senseless rules, led by young Cipollino, manage to defeat the bad guys through pranks, tricks, and ingenious plans, without ever resorting to violence. But Gianni Rodari's intent is not to stage a battle between good and evil: it is to demonstrate that a just society is possible, desirable, and even more fun for everyone.

 

The Adventures of Tonino the Invisible / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1985

Sometimes we'd like to become invisible so we could skip school, listen to what others say, and play pranks without fear of punishment. But if our dream were to come true, we might experience the misadventures of Tonino, the protagonist of this delightful story, who quickly realizes the problems created by his desired and magical invisibility: not being able to play with friends, being ignored by everyone, being alone... Once again, Rodari, with the lightheartedness of his story, makes us reflect on important themes such as friendship, participation, and solidarity.

 

The Dog of Mainz / Gianni Rodari; edited by Carmine De Luca; preface by Tullio De Mauro. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1982

Gianni Rodari (1920–1980) was a prominent figure in Italian and European culture not only as the author of famous and now classic children's literature. Above all, he was a journalist, a reporter, a correspondent, a commentator, and a columnist. This volume presents a rich selection from Rodari's diverse catalogue of journalistic writings. It is a Rodari who is in touch with reality, as always wittily ironic and satirical, and a lucid master of mistrust. Rodari assigned the pages of newspapers and periodicals the task of also being a place for experimenting with new creative forms and procedures. In them, starting in the 1950s, he refined the strategies of satirical representation he later employed in his short stories. The appendix to the volume includes a complete list of Rodari's writings in Paese sera, from 1958 to 1967.

 

There Was Baron Lamberto Twice, or the Mysteries of the Island of San Giulio / Gianni Rodari; edited by the author. – Turin: Einaudi, 1979

In the middle of the mountains lies Lake Orta. In the middle of the lake lies the island of San Giulio. On the island is the villa of Baron Lamberto, a very old, very rich, and perpetually ill gentleman. He has twenty-four illnesses, and only his faithful butler Anselmo can remember them all… But then his evil nephew Ottavio, intent on seizing his inheritance, and a gang of bandits intent on kidnapping the baron and demanding a huge ransom, descend on the island. Rodari's stories offer entertainment and a whirlwind of hilarious situations and characters: a way to understand our world.

 

House of Cards / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Emanuele Luzzati. – Milan: Mursia, 1994

This rhyming story is a fairy tale about power, freedom, and protest, and begins with a King of Coins, the most miserly of all misers, and a Queen, Lady of Spades, the richest of all rich women.

 

 

 Telephone Tales / Gianni Rodari; drawings by Bruno Munari. – Turin: Einaudi, 1968

Gianni Rodari's "Telephone Tales" are timeless: the unconventional characters and unexpected events, the sweet chocolate streets and the delicious ice cream palaces, the paradoxical numbers and the absurd questions capable of making the reader reflect are the strong points of that inexhaustible capacity for invention that Gianni Rodari combined with the timely observation of contemporary reality in the name of elegance, irony and freshness.

 

Fairy Tales as Long as a Smile / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1996

Thanks to Gianni Rodari, children's literature has been rescued from the limbo of a minor production and returned, in all its fascinating complexity, to the history of literature and that of pedagogy. The Omegna-born writer's journey, however, is not a comfortable journey through literary realms of irony and paradox, much less a path entirely internal to Italian pedagogical activism. Instead, it gradually takes on the hallmarks of contemporaneity, restlessness, moral tension, and courageous civil protest. The humor of the absurd, the playful debunking of clichés, and the distortions of language are nothing less than a reiterated invitation to free ourselves from patterns, prejudices, and conformism in order to look further ahead. At a time in history when moral and civil reference points seem lost, Rodari's books show us, beyond the happy invention and pleasure of reading, the paths of tolerance, the paths of friendship that we should follow if we still want to bet on the future of new generations.

 

The Nursery Rhyme of Pinocchio / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Febe Sillani. – San Dorligo della Valle: Emme, 2009

First published in serial form in the 1950s and constructed through drawings accompanied by rhyming couplets, this nursery rhyme represents Rodari's homage to one of the world's most beloved children's characters. Faithful to the novel but capable of bringing it closer to the modern sensibilities of children accustomed to visual narratives, it has for decades continued to unfailingly succeed in its aim: to introduce even the youngest readers to Collodi's masterpiece.

 

Nursery Rhymes in Heaven and on Earth / Gianni Rodari. – Turin: Einaudi, 1982

A colorful and ever-moving zoo, elevators that transform into spaceships, rocking accountants and dynasties of armchairs; accents that disappear, parentheses left open, restless periods and commas, jaunty and breakneck rhymes: each of Rodari's books is an encounter with a cheerful and unbridled imagination, which never gives up on representing and judging the world.

 

 

Long and Short Nursery Rhymes / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1984

The protagonist of Filastrocche lunghi e corte is everyday life captured through glimpses of cities, seasons, and characters—some realistic, some imaginative—but always careful to lightly underline the value of work, respect for others, the importance of sincerity, and the need for peace.

 

Nursery Rhymes for the Year Round / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1986

Readers will enjoy spending the whole year in Gianni Rodari's company: the nursery rhymes in this book touch on many aspects of everyday life and are strikingly timely and refreshing. Thanks to a clever use of rhymes, the reader becomes the protagonist of the nursery rhymes, and while Rodari invites them to look in the mirror, he also provides them with poetic "news stories," descriptions of cities and professions. With irony and lightheartedness, Gianni Rodari shows us that the world needs everyone's commitment to friendship and solidarity.

 

The Blue Arrow / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 2000

On Christmas Eve, all over the world, Santa Claus brings his gifts to children who have been good. Italians are the luckiest, because on the night between January 5th and 6th they receive more gifts: flying on a broomstick, they are brought by Befana, a gruff but kind old woman. But on January 5th many years ago, Italian children risked receiving no gifts at all. From here begins a modern fairy tale brought to life by unforgettable characters, from the Freccia Azzurra train to Captain Mezzarba, from Spicciola the dog to Penna d'Argento the Indian.

 

Jasmine in the Land of Liars / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Alberto Ruggieri. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 2000

Who knows where and who knows when there exists a land of liars, where bread is ink, where green is red, where dogs meow, where cats bark. Imagine what happens when Gelsomino, accustomed to calling a spade a spade and a wine a wine, arrives in such a land.

 

 

The Game of Four Corners / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Bruno Munari. – Turin: Einaudi, 1981

Contains the following stories: The Cows of Vitipeno; A Love in Verona; A Life of Ethology; The Nights of Spilamberto; The Beaches of Comacchio; The Game of the Four Corners; The Deal of the Century; People on a Train; Fantastic Start Code; Cobbler and Fornaretto; A Toy for Christmas; The Mermaid Bride; Heaven and Earth; The Song of the Gate; The Word Turin; Packet's Serenade; The Match; Agent X.99.

 

Gip on TV and Other Stories in Orbit / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Pef. – Trieste: Einaudi Ragazzi, 2005

Despite his passion for television, young Giampiero Binda, known as Gip, never thought he'd leap from his armchair, dive headfirst into the magical device, and turn the most diverse programs upside down! Yet, in a quiet Milanese house, that's exactly what happens! In "Other Stories in Orbit," we'll meet a souvenir seller who saves the Leaning Tower of Pisa from aliens; Delfina, the Cinderella of space, who's invited to the grand ball for the election of the President of Venus; and we'll even get to go on vacation in Mr. Pancrazio's flying house!

 

The Phantom Gondola / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Trieste: Einaudi, 2007

A strange marriage between Venice and the Orient, puppet theater, and the "Arabian Nights." Harlequin, Colombina, Pulcinella (with a nostalgia for Naples), Ali Badaluc, Magnapàn, Don Lindoro Lagrimoso, Pantalone dei Bisognosi, and Captain Tartaglia, all busily pursuing the mysterious phantom gondola that sails alone on the lagoon but which may also be carrying the much-coveted son of the Caliph of Baghdad, Ali Mustafà, held prisoner in the famous and infamous Piombi prison. Kidnappings, shady deals, escapes, piracy, and, above all, the mannered Mustafà's strange concept of honor (who even thanks him for the beating), leading to the joyful "happy ending." Illustrations by Altan.

 

Grammar of Fantasy: An Introduction to the Art of Inventing Stories / Gianni Rodari. – Turin: Einaudi Ragazzi, 1997

 A Grammar of Fantasy, one of Gianni Rodari's most important works and his only coherent theoretical work, was first published by Einaudi in 1973. The fruit of Rodari's "Encounters with Fantasy" in Reggio Emilia in March 1972 with teachers, librarians, and cultural workers, it has long been a point of reference in Italy and abroad for those involved in reading education and children's literature. This book's history is studded with reprints and foreign versions that have cemented its international success, confirming its value and relevance to this day. In A Grammar of Fantasy, that human characteristic so powerful during childhood—imagination—becomes the driving force of the creative process and demonstrates the enormous liberating power of the word. To mark the fortieth anniversary of its first publication, a special edition is being released, enriched with 16 pages featuring valuable contributions from the author's friends, publishers, authors, and those who, despite not having known him personally, owe him a life choice, thanks in part to his Grammar. Pino Boero, Roberto Denti, Roberto Piumini, and many others have dedicated tributes to Gianni Rodari and his work.

 

Me and the Others: New Games of Fantasy / Gianni Rodari; edited by Carmine De Luca; illustrations by Rosalba Catamo. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1988

Here are the "new fantasy games" proposed by Gianni Rodari with his stories, poems, and his plays. Why new? The first fantasy games, published in this same series under the title "Who am I? They helped the child learn about himself. These new games bring him closer to the outside world, to reality, to others, friends or strangers, adults and children, real or imaginary: together with them, the child sets off on another journey into the land of fantasy, where, as we know, there's room for everything and everyone.

 

The Book of Errors / Gianni Rodari; drawings by Bruno Munari. – San Dorligo della Valle: Einaudi Ragazzi, [2008]

Gianni Rodari takes us on a paradoxical carousel through the world of red and blue pencil corrections. Poems and short stories intertwine in a flirtatious dialogue with intelligent schoolchildren (and their parents, to whom the author dedicates a witty introduction to the book).

 

 

The Book of Whys / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1987

"The game of whys is the oldest in the world. Even before learning to speak, man must have had a big question mark in his head." Gianni Rodari's words clearly clarify the meaning of the "whys" in this book and lead us into a literary workshop where rationality and fantasy, science and poetry coexist. Born from two newspaper columns in which the writer answered the most diverse questions from his young readers, the "whys" once again demonstrate the greatness of Gianni Rodari, who with vivacity and irony knew how to inspire reflection in readers young and old.

 

Puppets in Freedom / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Paola. – Turin: Einaudi, c. 1974

Harlequin, Pulcinella, and Colombina, tired of being held by a thread, decide to leave the Grand Puppet Theater directed by Fernando Malvasia. Having escaped from the village of Telodomando, the three puppets encounter adventures and characters: a chatty salmon, a caged blackbird, a stern miller, and some bears. But Malvasia slowly creeps up on them... This first tale in verse, "Puppets in Freedom," is followed by a humorous reworking of Andersen's famous fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes."

 

The Dwarves of Mantua / Gianni Rodari. – Florence; Milan: Giunti Junior, 2000

A book for early readers, full of colorful illustrations and delightful adventures. The dwarves of Mantua have always lived in a special apartment in the Ducal Palace, where everything is miniature. But one day they rebel against Captain Bombardo, leaving and remaining among the people because they have decided to grow up.

 

 

Typewritten Short Stories / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Trieste: Einaudi Ragazzi, c. 1998

A knowing crocodile who appears on television, Marco and Mirko against the fearsome Talco gang, Grillo, the postman from Civitavecchia who lifts ships and the Colosseum, Piano Bill, the musical cowboy, Mr. Tòdaro, who fears that Venice might sink at any moment and turns into a fish... These are some of the unpredictable characters in this book by Rodari. "What would happen if," a magical key to penetrating the world of fantasy and imagination, is the question Rodari posed to the children of the many schools where he was a frequent guest. What would happen if extraterrestrials descended on Pisa to steal the tower? Together, Rodari and the children try and come up with the most bizarre answers. Thus was born this series of hilarious stories brimming with fantasy and creativity.

 

The Planet of Christmas Trees / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Trieste: Einaudi Ragazzi, c. 1997

Marco, the young protagonist of this novel, embarks on a long space journey astride his pendant horse and discovers a fabulous planet where life is colored by solidarity and the flavor of friendship: helpful robots grant the inhabitants' wishes, technology is available to all, and conflict is nonexistent. Gianni Rodari, who knew how to enter reality through the "window" of fantasy, dedicates his planet "to the children of today, astronauts of tomorrow" and speaks to us with lightheartedness and humor about important themes such as peace and science at the service of humanity.

 

Little Vagrants / Gianni Rodari. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1987

"Dear children, the difference between this story and a great adventure novel is that everything here is true, from the first word to the last. In this story, I didn't want to tell you incredible adventures, but how Anna, Francesco, and Domenico gained their strength, how they became men day by day. Pirate adventures are more colorful and fascinating, of course: but the adventure of becoming a man is more beautiful, because it is more real."

 

First fairy tales and nursery rhymes / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Trieste: Edizioni E.Elle, 1993

Have you ever encountered miraculous plants, extraordinary characters, or imaginary places? Want to enjoy nursery rhymes that rely on the game of rhyme, the taste of invention, and the pleasure of storytelling? Open these First fairy tales and nursery rhymes by Gianni Rodari and read them… you will thus get to know an author who, from the early years of his career as a journalist and children's writer, knew how to create opportunities for entertainment and food for thought from a still grey and impoverished reality… a continuous explosion of fireworks and surprises.

 

The Second Book of Nursery Rhymes / Gianni Rodari. – Turin: Einaudi, printed 1985

What happens if ants ride bicycles, cats play the piano, an accountant marries a chicken, and a merchant starts selling stars? One of Gianni Rodari's merits is having made an important truth clear to readers of all ages: playing isn't just fun. By dismantling, reassembling, and combining the words and pieces of that great Meccano toy that is the world, we learn to know it and judge it. The < > imagination teaches us to smile and to understand. Published in newspapers and periodicals, and collected for the first time in a volume (although there are also many unpublished works), these nursery rhymes increase the debt of gratitude and affection to one of Italy's most beloved authors.

 

Stories of Marco and Mirko / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Turin: Einaudi Ragazzi, 1997

Many years ago, twins Marco and Mirko would have caused great concern to adults, who, seeing them armed with terrifying boomerang hammers, would have feared damage to people and property. Today, however, the twins appear brilliant and enterprising, helping adults, solving mysteries, and moving with adventurous curiosity through that vibrant world constructed by Rodari's imagination.

 

Lots of Stories to Play With / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Maria Sole Macchia. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 2000

Tate storie per giocare (So Many Stories to Play) is one of the most famous "imaginative exercises" that Gianni Rodari offered to his very young audience: twenty stories, each with three different endings, with the explicit invitation to use your imagination to invent new ones. At the end of the book, the author himself comments on the different endings, introducing his readers to the laboratory of a storyteller.

 

Pie in the Sky / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Turin: Einaudi ragazzi, 1995

What if one day a mysterious flying saucer appeared in the sky above one of our cities? Adults would immediately think of an alien invasion, call in the army, enlist hordes of scientists and researchers... This is what happens in the Roman village of Trullo, rocked by the mysterious space object... Two charming children, however, don't believe appearances, and the facts will prove them right: together with many friends, they will enjoy a wonderful cake fallen from the sky.

 

Twenty Stories Plus One / Gianni Rodari; illustrated by Chiara Rapaccini. – Rome: Editori Riuniti, 2000

Teresin who never grew up, the wizard Garù, King Midas and the brigand Filone, Uncle Bianco and Leo Decimo and many others are the protagonists of “Twenty Stories Plus One”, inhabitants of a world always balanced between fairy tale and reality, between adventure and everyday life.

 

 

The Travels of Giovannino Perdigiorno / Gianni Rodari; illustrations by Francesco Altan. – Turin: Einaudi, printed 1995

Giovannino Perdigiorno belongs to the lineage of great explorers: he has curiosity, a spirit of adventure, and a desire to recount his exploits. The worlds he often encounters, however, don't completely satisfy him, and so, after a brief stop, he sets off again to pursue the dream of a "country without errors," where everything is "perfect" and "beautiful."

 

 

 

 

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John the Waster                   

 

John the Waster
he missed the midday tram,
he lost his voice, his appetite,
he lost the will to lift a finger,
he missed the turn, he missed the quota,
he lost his head (but it was empty),
he lost his temper, he lost his umbrella,
he lost the gate key,
he lost the leaf, he lost the way:
everything is lost except joy.