What I’m Up to at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Fulvio Testa

h1 December 14th, 2012 by jules


“‘Pinocchio, come up here where I am!’ shouted Harlequin. ‘Come throw yourself into the arms of your wooden brothers!’ At this affectionate invitation, Pinocchio leapt from the back of the pit into the expensive seats, then jumped again
from the expensive seats onto the orchestra conductor’s head,
and then sprang from there onto the stage.”

Today, over at the Kirkus Book Blog Network, I have some thoughts on my favorite new holiday picture book. That link is here.

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Last week, I wrote about Philip Pullman’s Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version (Viking Adult, November), as well as Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, released in October by the New York Review Children’s Collection, translated from the Italian by Geoffrey Brock, and illustrated by Fulvio Testa, one of Italy’s most distinguished artists and illustrators. You can read all about both books at that link, and today I follow up with some of Testa’s art from Pinocchio.

Enjoy.


“‘Catch him! Catch him!’ yelled Geppetto.”


“As soon as the Fairy handed him the lump of sugar, Pinocchio chewed it up and gulped it down. Licking his lips, he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if sugar was medicine, too? I’d take some every day.’ ‘Now keep your promise and rink these few drops, which will restore you to health.’ Pinocchio reluctantly took the glass from her hand and stuck the tip of his nose in it.”


“Then they turned back to Pinocchio, put him between them, and commanded him in soldierly voices. ‘Forward march! On the double! Or you’ll be sorry!'”


“Then Lampwick said, ‘Pinocchio, listen to me: come with us, and we’ll have fun.’ ‘No, no, no!’ ‘Come with us and we’ll have fun!’ shouted several other voices from inside the coach. ‘Come with us and we’ll have fun!’ screamed all the children in chorus — it seemed like a hundred voices. ‘And if I come with you, what will I tell my good Fairy?’ said the puppet, who was beginning to weaken and waver.”


“He found a small dining table, on top of which stood a green glass bottle with a burning candle in its neck, and beside which sat a little old man, who looked so white he might have been made of snow, or whipped cream. The man was champing absent-mindedly on some live minnows — so live they occasionally
jumped right out of his mouth as he chewed.”

* * * * * * *

PINOCCHIO. Translation copyright © 2009 by Geoffrey Brock. Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Fulvio Testa. Published by The New York Review Children’s Collection. Illustrations from the book reproduced with permission of the publisher.





One comment to “What I’m Up to at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Fulvio Testa”

  1. Wow! Brilliant art! So strong and delicate, both. “Catch him, catch him” especially catches me. Thanks for another great art exhibit. Speaking of catching, I need to catch up some others.


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