The Adventures of Cipollino

(Hardback)

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Description

In this enchantingly whimsical, darkly comic tale from Gianni Rodari (Italys Roald Dahl), an unlikely heronone other than a young onion!takes up the fight against the tyrannical Prince Lemon, with wit and heart.

Cipollino is young, brave, clever, and determinedexactly the kind of valiant hero thats bound to triumph in fairy tales. Except, did we mention that hes also a little onion You read that right: In this fantastic book of high political dramaa classic of Italian childrens literatureall of the characters are fruits, vegetables, and animals.

Here, Cipollino sets out to free his wrongfully imprisoned father. In the process, he faces off against scoundrels of all kinds. What hangs in the balance is nothing more or less than the freedom of an entire kingdom from the senseless rules imposed by the tyrannical Prince Lemon, and the equal dignity of each blueberry, string bean, and spider.

Written in the atmosphere of hope and enthusiasm of postWorld War II Italy, Cipollino and his friends dont rely on weapons and violence in their battle against injustice, but rather on jokes and tricks, ingenuity and courage, heart and solidarity. With much laughter, luck, and pluck, they band together to bring fun, respect, and decency back to the land.

Reviews

A Kirkus Reviews Fall Preview selection!

"A metaphor for power and the fight for justice. A rather good topic for children in 2025, wouldnt you say This is very much a novel intended for kids 10+... Ideal for a teacher readaloud."

-- Betsy Bird * A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog) *
I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this little onion... Cipollino is the voice of a generation! -- Kristina, Bookseller * Books Are Magic (Brooklyn, NY) *
Wry text by Rodari (The Book of Whys) presents the adventures of young Cipollino (or 'Little Onion'), one of seven brothers living in a whimsical world populated by anthropomorphic fruits, vegetables, insects, and animals... As an introduction notes, 'insurgent ingenuity triumphs over the petty corruptions and caprices of overripe oranges, steamed tomatoes, and bitter lemons' in this witty tale... Tolstikova portrays Cipollinos quests via emotive, mostly unlined watercolor illustrations of the fruits, veggies, and more, which are peppered throughout the rambunctious narrative. * Publishers Weekly *
Tolstikovas watercolor-style illustrations, which are new for this first English edition, brighten nearly every spread with scenes of anthropomorphic figures topped by fruit or vegetable heads and joined by the occasional animatedly talking spider, mole, or other animal... Sly, silly fun with political and class-war overtones. * Kirkus Reviews *

Author Bio

Italian author Gianni Rodari wrote many beloved childrens books and was a recipient of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. He was also an educator who understood the liberating power of the imagination. He is one of the 20th centurys greatest authors for children, and Italys greatest. Decades after his death in 1980, Rodaris writing remains as powerful and innovative as ever. Antony Shugaar is a writer and translator. His translation of Rodaris Telephone Tales received the 2021 Batchelder Award for Most Outstanding Childrens Translation and was awarded the 2020 Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs English Translation Prize. Dasha Tolstikova is the author and illustrator of A Year Without Mom, which received four starred reviews and was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She is also the illustrator of several of her own books, and her illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker. She lives in Brooklyn.