The Italian Genius Who Mixed Marxism and Children’s Literature

Gianni Rodari, who has been almost unknown in English till now, united a fantastical imagination with a deep interest in education.

By Joan Acocella, The New Yorker
December 7, 2020

“In Italy, everyone knows who Gianni Rodari was: one of the country’s most cherished writers of children’s books. In the United States, practically nobody knows his name. Of his thirty books, not one was published here during his lifetime. A few came out in the U.K., and you can still get a copy of one of these translations, if, for example, you are willing to mortgage your house. The other day, I tried to buy “Tales Told by a Machine,” from 1976. Amazon had a hardcover copy, for nine hundred and sixty-seven dollars, plus shipping. This is a crime against art. … “