Giovanni (Gianni) Rodari’s importance to Italian children’s literature is hard to overstate, though English translations of his books have been scarce until the last few years. Born in 1920, he was a young adult in Mussolini’s Italy, and in response, became a lifelong Marxist and anti-fascist. His politics are often visible under the surface of … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Gianni Rodari and His Grammars of Fantasy
Review by Emma K. McNamara Seiji Yoshida’s Houses with a Story, translated from Japanese to English by Jan Mitsuko Cash, showcases the floor plans of a variety of homes that one might find in literature. Each building is accompanied by a short description, annotations of the building’s contents, and who lives there and why. Fair-skinned … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Houses with a Story
This book was an impulse buy at my local bookshop in December last year. I was stocking up on Christmas presents and the beautiful cover by Thomas Campi caught my eye. When I noticed that the book was written by award-winning French author Timothée de Fombelle, I didn’t hesitate. A Swallow in Winter is a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Swallow in Winter
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 