By Tom Padula
I am attracted to literature in general and especially Italian literature from 1,000 years ago, coming from the many diverse areas of divided Italy. My reading of The Divine Comedy in the original Italian version, canto after canto, has what the French call explication de texte. I used this method to better understand Dante’s content in Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, his three-volume literary work.
I want to jump from Dante, reputed to be the Father of Modern Italian, to Gianni Rodari, the author of books that target children in the 20th century. I find that the content of his books, including poetry and stories, can also be enjoyed by adult readers, especially those who are nonne or nonni, but also zie or zii. Indeed, all adults willing to read to children, especially mamme e papà, will find this exercise stimulating and interesting.
Who was Gianni Rodari, and how did he become a world children’s author of such importance?
He received international recognition in 1970 when he was awarded the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award, often considered the highest honour in children’s literature. He was the first Italian writer to receive this distinction.
How did this author change his political perspectives over the course of his life? Let’s look at the trajectory of his life journey.
Gianni Rodari (1920–1980) was one of Italy’s most beloved children’s writers, celebrated for his imagination, humour, and commitment to education and social justice.
Born on 23 October 1920 in the town of Omegna, in the Piedmont region, Rodari grew up in modest circumstances after the early death of his father, a baker.
His childhood experiences during difficult economic times deeply influenced his sympathy for ordinary people and his belief that literature should be accessible to all children.
Many children born in poor households and recognized as potential future leaders were sent to seminaries to study and perhaps eventually serve the Catholic Church as priests or brothers — a practice that continues in modified form today, because education has become a government responsibility.
Gianni Rodari studied at a seminary for a short period before attending teacher training college. By the age of seventeen, he had qualified as a primary school teacher.
During the years of World War II, Italy underwent political turmoil under the Fascist regime. Gianni Rodari initially joined Fascist youth organisations, as many young Italians were expected to do. However, the suffering and injustice he witnessed during the war transformed his political outlook.
He later became involved with the Italian Resistance movement and joined the Italian Communist Party after the war.
In the late 1940s, Gianni Rodari began working as a journalist and writer. He contributed to newspapers connected with progressive and workers’ movements, especially the children’s section of the newspaper L’Unità.
His ability to combine fantasy with social awareness quickly distinguished him from other writers. Rather than writing moralistic tales, this author encouraged creativity, curiosity, and independent thinking in children.
Among his most famous works is Favole al telefono (Telephone Tales), a collection of short imaginative stories supposedly told by a travelling salesman to his daughter over the telephone each evening.
The stories are witty, inventive, and often contain gentle lessons about kindness, fairness, and imagination.
Another important work is Il libro degli errori (The Book of Errors), where Rodari playfully turns grammatical and spelling mistakes into creative adventures.
His novel Le avventure di Cipollino (The Adventures of Little Onion) became internationally famous, especially in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The story uses vegetables and fruits as characters in a humorous satire about power and injustice.
Perhaps Gianni Rodari’s most influential educational work was Grammatica della fantasia (The Grammar of Fantasy), published in 1973.