Overview

In 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. Cipollino 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. 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 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.

Full Product Details

9781592704163

Table of Contents

Reviews

""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) * “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) *

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

Author Information

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.

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