The Grammar of Fantasy, An Introduction to the Art of Inventing Stories
The Grammar of Fantasy, An Introduction to the Art of Inventing Stories
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Written by Gianni Rodari
Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Translated from Italian by Jack Zipes
From the father of modern Italian children’s literature, a guide to fairy tales and their potential for teaching creative storytelling to children—with 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
“The ultimate synthesis of Rodari’s exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets.” —Italo Calvino
Translated into English by acclaimed children’s literature historian Jack Zipes and illustrated for the first time ever by Matthew Forsythe, this edition is the ultimate guide for all teachers and creatives. “I hope this small book,” writes Rodari, “can be useful for all those people who believe it is necessary for the imagination to have a place in education; for all those who trust in the creativity of children; and for all those who know the liberating value of the word.”
ISBN: 978-1-59270-305-0
6” (W) x 9” (H) • 316 Pages • HCJ
PRESS
See feature story in the New York Times by Mac Barnett! “A Literary Genius Who Championed Nonsense: Gianni Rodari used puns, topsy-turvyism and zany names to invent stories for children and help children invent their own.” —The New York Times
See feature story on Betsy Bird’s blog! “The Rodari Conversation: Talking Classic Italian Children’s Literature with the Esteemed Antony Shugaar, Claudia Zoe Bedrick, Jack Zipes, and Matthew Forsythe.” —A Fuse #8 Production, A School Library Journal blog
REVIEWS
"Holds great value for the adults who teach kids and the adults who write for them... The book is funny, freewheeling and angry, animated by Rodari’s fury at an educational system in which ‘imagination is still treated like a poor relation of attention and memory…’ He offers classroom games that puncture the barriers between academic disciplines... The Grammar of Fantasy is less a manual on how to write for kids than a treatise on why we must respect them as readers, written by an author whose life’s work was underpinned by an appreciation of the child’s ‘underlying seriousness, and the moral engagement that she brings to everything she does.’" —Mac Barnett, U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, for the New York Times
"I’m having a hard time containing my excitement… It’s great for teachers and the classroom, but also for any artist or people who are 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
“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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