The Grammar of Fantasy
Description
From the father of modern Italian children's literature, this is one of the great works about the imagination and how stories are made--featuring radiant illustrations from Matthew Forsythe and a refreshed translation from Jack Zipes.
"Holds great value for the adults who teach kids and the adults who write for them." --Mac Barnett, U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, for the New York Times
This handbook for writers of all ages and kinds is essential reading for teachers and creatives. It offers a playful, practical path to finding your own voice through the power of storytelling. Full of ideas, glosses on fairy tales, stories, and wide-ranging activities, this book changed how creative arts were taught in Italian schools.
Gianni Rodari is not only revered as a children's author, but also remembered for his visionary pedagogy, and it is these two fields he combines in this revolutionary essay collection. Translated into English by acclaimed scholar of folklore and children's literature Jack Zipes, and with original art from illustrator Matthew Forsythe, this edition of The Grammar of Fantasy is one to live with and return to for its humor, intelligence, and remarkable understanding of children.
"The ultimate synthesis of Rodari's exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets." --Italo Calvino
Product Details
| Publisher | Enchanted Lion |
| Publish Date | May 13, 2025 |
| Pages | 316 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781592703050 |
| Dimensions | 9.3 X 6.5 X 1.6 inches | 2.3 pounds |
About the Author
Jack Zipes is a renowned children's historian and folklorist who has written,
translated, and edited dozens of books on fairytales. He is a professor at the
University of Minnesota.
Reviews
"I'm having a hard time containing my excitement... It's great for teachers and the classroom, but also for any artist or person who is looking to be more creative. Honestly, it would even be great in the self-help category, on how to unleash your own voice."--Betsy Bird "A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog)"
"Rodari yearned for a way to unite his passions for philosophy, teaching, and justice. And so he started writing stories, songs, and poems for children, insisting over and over, in subtle and sensitive ways, on the human capacity for independent and imaginative thinking... A dazzling, deeply original book... only now available in English with enchanting illustrations by Matthew Forsythe."--Maria Popova "The Marginalian"
"The ultimate synthesis of Rodari's exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets."--Italo Calvino
"This is a spectacularly gorgeous book (as is everything from Enchanted Lion)."-- "Golden Hour Books (Indianapolis, IN)"
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