The Adventures of Cipollino - by Gianni Rodari (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this enchantingly whimsical tale from Italy's great children's author, Gianni Rodari, a young onion named Cipollino sets out into the world to study scoundrels, and in so doing, he undoes the tyrannical Prince Lemon, while making a legion of friends along the way.

A Kirkus Reviews Fall Preview selection!

Cipollino is young, brave, clever, and determined--exactly the kind of valiant hero that's bound to triumph in fairy tales. In this colorful, episodic adventure story, in which nearly everyone is animal, vegetable, or fruit, Cipollino leaves home and sets off into the world to free his wrongfully imprisoned father. In the process, he faces off against scoundrels of all kinds with wit and humor, while winning both allies and friends. What hangs in the balance is the freedom of an entire kingdom from the ridiculous rules of the all-powerful Prince Lemon and the dignity of each blueberry, string bean, and spider! This is a charming, comic, highly-readable work of fiction for readers 9 and up, which also has the distinction of being one of Hayao Miyazaki's
"50 Favorite Children's Books" of all time.

Review Quotes

A Kirkus Reviews Fall Preview selection!

"A metaphor for power and the fight for justice. A rather good topic for children in 2025, wouldn't 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)"

"Tolstikova's 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"

"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 Cipollino's quests via emotive, mostly unlined watercolor illustrations of the fruits, veggies, and more, which are peppered throughout the rambunctious narrative."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"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)"

About the Author

Italian author Gianni Rodari wrote many beloved children's 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 century's greatest authors for children, and Italy's greatest. Decades after his death in 1980, Rodari's writing remains as powerful and innovative as ever. Antony Shugaar is a writer and translator. His translation of Rodari's Telephone Tales received the 2021 Batchelder Award for Most Outstanding Children's 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.