Introduction

This issue of The Lion and the Unicorn includes a number of studies of children's literature in Italy that provide an initial definition and general panorama of the current situation of this literature and its development during the past two centuries. To begin a brief, succinct account, I trace the development of humorous literature from the nineteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on those writers who can still teach or tell us something. Maria Luisa Salvadori offers a study on the writings of Gianni Rodari (1920-1980) and his followers, enabling us to understand the range of effectiveness and the dynamic forces in Rodari's work. Lella Gandini, whose expertise derives as much from her experience as a writer as it does from her scholarly work, reflects on the nursery rhyme. Finally, Carla Poesio introduces some contemporary author-illustrators who have transcended national borders and have brought or are bringing a completely new art to the whole world—that of the poetry of images. Poesio's essay is a particularly interesting study because it examines works that go against the grain. In an epoch of technological development, the image might be expected to acquire ever more warmth and lyricism, whereas, in fact, we are too often unfortunately witnessing the triumph of bad taste. The picture books analyzed in Poesio's essay are a happy exception to this trend.

Reading the various studies, the reader will quickly notice that most of the writers treated—and they are the most significant ones in Italian history—have made extensive use of the nursery rhyme, either gathering together well-known favorites or making up new ones. This emphasis is justifiable: there are few writers for children in Italy who have not drawn on this expressive form. The reasons are many, but the most significant is surely that, in Italy, the nursery rhyme has had great significance. It is already present in the spontaneous games of children; it is learned by the child before school age and remembered for life. Since it is so prevalent in popular culture, it is known even by the illiterate or semiliterate to the point that, like the lullaby, it has always been an instrument of communication between adults and children. Through publication in school textbooks, the nursery rhyme has been used to teach children how to read and write. And, finally, in books for children, it invariably finds approval among younger readers. No surprise, then, that the authors of children's literature should have made such heavy use of the nursery rhyme, and it is no surprise that they continue to do so.

It is precisely by using the nursery rhyme that a notable level of expressiveness has been reached. This use may be due to the fact that the rhythm helps communication with the child, or because the nursery rhyme implicitly contains certain characteristics that make it easier to understand. In general it tells a "lighter" sort of story, manages to be ironic and transgressive, and remains entertaining. With the nursery rhyme, Italian writers have been able to articulate themselves in congenial territory that has its roots in the finest popular traditions, and this grounding guarantees its success.

Even the best artists, when they illustrate a work, follow a kind of musical scheme that endows their images with a rhythmic beat that begins in a muted manner and then suddenly explodes. I believe that this is typical of their best work, a style that is certainly not natural but stems from the Italian cultural tradition. One need only think of Emanuele Luzzati and of his "impoverished art" which suddenly rolls forth in an avalanche of gilded hues, or of the illustrations of Roberto Innocenti, in which the point of view is constantly shifted so that we are shown many different takes on reality (as though we think we're seeing a movie and hearing its soundtrack). One need only recall Sergio Tofano and many others like him, who have invented a specific strip that lacks...