{"title":"Gianni Rodari","description":"\u003cp\u003eGianni Rodari's works invite young readers into worlds where imagination and wit transform the everyday into enchanting adventures. His stories blend playful fantasy with thoughtful humour, encouraging children and young adults to explore creativity and question the world around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfectly suited for both leisure reading and educational discovery, Rodari's books reveal the magic of language and storytelling. From whimsical tales to inventive narratives that spark curiosity, his writing remains a celebrated treasure in children's literature and literacy development.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lamberto-lamberto-lamberto-by-gianni-rodari-9781592704156","title":"Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Gianni Rodari, the father of modern Italian children’s literature, comes a pithy, humorous tale about life and death, health and wealth… and bandits and balloons! A refreshed translation from Batchelder Award–winner Antony Shugaar, illustrated with all-new art from Roman Muradov.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Gianni Rodari gave free rein to his imagination, with inspired panache and gleeful lightness. At the same time, he had a precise and meticulous love for detail, for rich and exact language, and so all of his inventions are set in a very concrete world with real form and action.” —Italo Calvino\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBaron Lamberto is very old, very rich, and very sick. He lives in a villa on a private island in the middle of Lake Orta, tended to by his trusty butler, Anselmo, who keeps track of the baron’s 24 maladies, 24 banks, and endless eccentricities. After a mysterious trip to Egypt, the baron hires six people to take up residence in the attic of his villa. Their only task? To repeat his name, “Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto,” throughout the day. Why? It’s anyone’s guess, but—wonder of wonders—Baron Lamberto does appear to be getting better and better, little by little, day by day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut trouble looms when Lamberto’s nefarious nephew Ottavio enters the scene, scheming up a way to get his hands on the baron’s fortune. And things go from bad to worse when a band of 24 bandits (all named Lamberto, too, by the way) lays siege to the baron’s villa and attempt to hold him for ransom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn typical Rodarian fashion, \u003cem\u003eLamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto\u003c\/em\u003e is a thoroughly enjoyable, deeply thought-provoking read. While it playfully skewers the absurdities of the rich, the bureaucracy, the media, and more, it also encourages readers to liberate their imaginations, to expect the unexpected, and to embrace the kind of possibilities that normally only happen in fairy tales.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46732956664044,"sku":"9781592704156","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1490113482755.jpg?v=1755152344"},{"product_id":"the-grammar-of-fantasy-by-gianni-rodari-9781592703050","title":"The Grammar of Fantasy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The ultimate synthesis of Rodari's exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets.\" -\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eItalo Calvino\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA groundbreaking pedagogical work that is also a handbook for writers of all ages and kinds, \u003ci\u003eThe Grammar of Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e offers a playful, practical path to finding your own voice through the power of storytelling. Full of ideas, glosses on fairy tales, stories, and wide-ranging activities, this book changed how the creative arts were taught in Italian schools.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGianni Rodari is not only revered as a children's author, but also remembered for his visionary pedagogy, and it is these two fields he combines in this revolutionary work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTranslated into English by acclaimed scholar of folklore and children's literature Jack Zipes, and with original art from Matthew Forsythe, this edition of \u003ci\u003eThe Grammar of Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e is one to live with and return to for its humor, intelligence, and remarkable understanding of children and the imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288919425260,"sku":"9781592703050","price":54.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1479053482755.jpg?v=1770579932"},{"product_id":"a-daydreamy-child-takes-a-walk-by-gianni-rodari-9781592704033","title":"A Daydreamy Child Takes a Walk","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWritten by Gianni Rodari, the father of modern Italian children's literature, and charmingly illustrated by award-winning artist Beatrice Alemagna, this bright, sweet story reminds us what children are really like in the most essential and beautiful way!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLittle Giovanni is always daydreaming, always paying attention to the small miracles that lead him to lose track of the big picture. So even though he's promised his mama to keep his eyes open on his walk, he can't help but get distracted. Cheerful, carefree, and curious, Giovanni literally loses himself as he discovers the wide, wonderful world around him. Here, Rodari highlights the gorgeous way children give themselves over to their attention to the world by having Giovanni lose parts of himself as he walks along. Should his mama worry? \u003cem\u003eNo!\u003c\/em\u003e Because: \"That's just the way children are.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing her \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\/\u003cem\u003eNew York Public Library Best Illustrated Telling Stories Wrong\u003c\/em\u003e, Beatrice Alemagna returns to illustrate another of Gianni Rodari's delightful stories from \u003cem\u003eTelephone Tales\u003c\/em\u003e. With a Batchelder Award winning translation by Antony Shugaar, this classic story from one of Italy's most beloved and important authors of children's literature asserts the power of flights of fancy and the value of childlike wonder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47485746118892,"sku":"9781592704033","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781592704033-a-daydreamy-child-takes-a-walk.jpg?v=1775714582"},{"product_id":"telling-stories-wrong-by-gianni-rodari-9781592703609","title":"Telling Stories Wrong","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA New York Times\/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2022\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone knows how \"Little Red Riding Hood\" goes. But Grandpa keeps getting the story all wrong, with hilarious results!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Little Yellow Riding Hood-\" \"Not yellow! It's Red Riding Hood!\" So begins the story of a grandpa playfully recounting the well-known fairytale—or his version, at least—to his granddaughter. Try as she might to get him back on track, Grandpa keeps on adding things to the mix, both outlandish and mundane!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe end result is an unpredictable tale that comes alive as it's being told, born out of imaginative play and familial affection. This spirited picture book will surprise and delight from start to finish, while reminding readers that storytelling is not only a creative act of improvisation and interaction, but also a powerful pathway for connection and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTelling Stories Wrong\u003c\/em\u003e was written by Gianni Rodari, widely regarded as the father of modern Italian children's literature. It exemplifies his great respect for the intelligence of children and the kind of work he did as an educator, developing numerous games and exercises for children to engage and think beyond the status quo, imagining what happens after the end of a familiar story, or what possibilities open up when a new ingredient is introduced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is illustrated with great affection by the illustrious artist Beatrice Alemagna (\u003cem\u003eChild of Glass\u003c\/em\u003e), who counts Gianni Rodari as one of her \"spiritual fathers.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ingram Book Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487561335020,"sku":"9781592703609","price":51.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/e33469445d86e8ae2ed632cbe80bbc06.jpg?v=1775774064"},{"product_id":"telephone-tales-by-gianni-rodari-9781592702848","title":"Telephone Tales","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNight after night, a father spins a new, fantastical bedtime story for his daughter from the other end of the telephone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvery night, at nine o'clock, wherever he is, Mr. Bianchi, an accountant who often has to travel for work, calls his daughter and tells her a bedtime story.\u003c\/strong\u003e But since it's still the 20th century world of pay phones, each story has to be told in the time that a single coin will buy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReminiscent of Scheherazade and \u003ci\u003eOne Thousand and One Nights\u003c\/i\u003e, Gianni Rodari's \u003ci\u003eTelephone Tales\u003c\/i\u003e is composed of many stories—in fact, seventy short stories, with one for each phone call. Each story is set in a different place and a different time, with unconventional characters and a wonderful mix of reality and fantasy. One night, it's a carousel so beloved by children that an old man finally sneaks on to understand why, and as he sails above the world, he does. Or, it's a land filled with butter men, roads paved with chocolate, or a young shrimp who has the courage to do things in a different way from what he's supposed to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAwarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970, Gianni Rodari is widely considered to be Italy's most important children's author of the 20th century. Newly re-illustrated by Italian artist Valerio Vidali \u003ci\u003e(The Forest)\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTelephone Tales\u003c\/i\u003e entertains, while questioning and imagining other worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of the 2021 Batchelder Award and the 2020 Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs's English Translation Prize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47647730204908,"sku":"9781592702848","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/fd51527b528748f310a2480ef6be3f33.jpg?v=1779234635"},{"product_id":"the-adventures-of-cipollino-by-gianni-rodari-9781592704163","title":"The Adventures of Cipollino","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this enchantingly whimsical, darkly comic tale from Gianni Rodari (Italy’s Roald Dahl), an unlikely hero—none other than a young onion!—takes up the fight against the tyrannical Prince Lemon, with wit and heart.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Adventures of Cipollino\u003c\/em\u003e introduces us to Cipollino, who is young, brave, clever, and determined—exactly the kind of valiant hero that’s bound to triumph in fairy tales. Except, did we mention that he’s also a little onion? You read that right. In this fantastic book of high political drama—a classic of Italian children’s literature—all of the characters are fruits, vegetables, and animals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten in the atmosphere of hope and enthusiasm of post–World War II Italy, Cipollino and his friends don’t 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48126631674092,"sku":"9781592704163","price":54.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781592704163-the-adventures-of-cipollino.jpg?v=1785972377"},{"product_id":"the-book-of-whys-by-gianni-rodari-9781592703647","title":"The Book of Whys","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactual as well as whimsical, and humorously illustrated, this is the first English-language publication of the answers given by one of Italy's greatest and most beloved children's authors to children's questions about animals, nature, technology, and culture.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGianni Rodari is widely regarded as the father of modern Italian children's literature. A firm believer in the great intelligence of children, he worked both as a teacher and a journalist. For a number of years, children across Italy sent their questions to his weekly newspaper column—questions Rodari answered, most inventively, with rhymes and little poems. \u003cem\u003eWhy didn't he reply with facts alone?\u003c\/em\u003e Because he wanted to provoke children into thinking about questions, norms, and language itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Book of Whys\u003c\/em\u003e collects a selection of these questions—from \"Why does an elephant have a trunk?\" to \"Why does a car need fuel?\" to \"Why are we born?\"—along with Rodari's answers, which beautifully serve to highlight the complexities, simplicities, and absurdities of our world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a fresh translation from Antony Shugaar, who also translated Rodari's \u003cem\u003eTelephone Tales\u003c\/em\u003e (the 2021 Batchelder Award winner), and playful illustrations in coloured pencils from artist JooHee Yoon (\u003cem\u003eBeastly Verse; The Tiger Who Would Be King\u003c\/em\u003e, a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Best Illustrated Book of 2015; \u003cem\u003eInside Out and Upside Down\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Whys\u003c\/em\u003e is a playful, surprising, and poetically informative book for all those who are curious about the world and ready to play with the ways things are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48126632722668,"sku":"9781592703647","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781592703647-the-book-of-whys.jpg?v=1785972541"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/gianni-rodari.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}