Adventures of Pinocchio, The

The story of the boy puppet, his desire to become real, and his sometimes mischievous ways is a familiar one, but in this book it's treated differently. It's more sophisticated and more subtle than the Walt Disney version. The language is nostalgic, and its prose has a rhythm that's reminiscent of poetry. The art is more in the style of a fine Italian artist who uses a dark palette to create more detailed illustrations instead of cartoonish ones.

–Samantha Critchell, The Associated Press , 12/1/2005

Children today are more likely to have seen the Walt Disney 1940 film version of Pinocchio than to have read the original book. That's just one reason why The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, would make a welcome addition to a child's library. Another is the stunning, imaginitive art by the renowned Italian illustrator Innocenti, who has also illustrated the Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol. Collodi, an Italian journalist (his real name was Carlo Lorenzini) first published Pincocchio, the story of a mischievous and misbehaving wooden puppet, in 1881. This beautiful re-release will take readers young and old on an imaginative journey into another world. Pinocchio's travels are filled with adventure he is ambushed, almost eaten by a fisherman, flies on the back of a pigeon and gets swallowed by a gigantic shark. Innocenti, one of the finest artists working in the field, created more than 50 magnificent illustrations for this handsome, high-quality edition. Children will be enthralled by his depiction of busy marketplaces, bright farmyard scenes, mysterious winter landscapes and even the inside of the giant shark.

–Deborah Hopkinson, Book Page

If the only image of the wooden boy that children have is the Disney puppet with his shock of black hair lovingly crafted by the gentle old Geppetto, then perhaps it is time to introduce them to the original. Not sanitized by Disney, this Pinocchio is revealed as sometimes arrogant, often naughty, very disobedient, but with an underlying desire to do what is right. There are plenty of adventures and misadventures for the wooden puppet who longs to be a boy. It is a cautionary tale, unabashed in its messages to children, that probably works best as a read-aloud. What sets this edition apart from others is the handsome design. From the rich buff pages to the exquisite paintings of 19th century Italy, this is a work of art. Here is a classic that belongs on every bookshelf.

–Beverley Fahey, Children's Literature

The timeless tale of Pinocchio is once again brought into beautiful illustration with the new release of The Adventures of Pinocchio. Internationally acclaimed illustrator Roberto Innocenti brings the story back to life with his realistic yet fanciful sketches. The new spin on Carlo Callodi's original tale shows the slightly grim side of Pinocchio and his outstanding story, and how he goes from a careless puppet to one who is just a little bit wiser. Even though the story of Pinocchio is pretty well know, the ending still has a surprise or two, even for experts on this wondrous piece of literature.

–Curious Parents Magazine , 12/2005

Books are a gift that young readers can pick up over and over, long after a toy would have lost its luster. It's been a blockbuster year for children's books, so the challenge for our reviewers was to pick the very best. The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and illustrated by Roberto Innocenti is a gorgeous, fat, non-Disney edition of the classic story.

–Janis Campbell, The Detroit Free Press , 12/2005

Readers will be pleased to see the return of this long unavailable title. Innocenti's illustrations of a bleak, snow-covered Italian landscape are about as far as you can get from the Disney version of Pinocchio. Rating: 1: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration.

–Horn Book Guide , Spring 2006

Carlo Collodi is the pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890), an Italian journalist whose translations of French fairy tales in the late 1870s became so popular that he wrote his own "Le Avventure di Pinocchio" (The Adventures of Pinocchio) in 1881, which went on to become a children's classic around the world and in 1940 was the basis for the animated film by Walt Disney. Now a new edition of this magnificent and imaginative fairy tale has been superbly illustrated by Roberto Innocenti with intricate artwork of museum gallery quality. This is the original story that includes all of Pinocchio's travels, including getting ambushed by vile assassins, strung up in a tree, drowned in the sea, nursed back to health by a beautiful blue-haired fairy, slaying a large serpent through laughter, getting chained up as a dog to catch thieving weasels, arrested for fighting with classmates, almost eaten by a ravenous fisherman, saving a great mastiff and being saved by the mastiff in return, morphing into a performing donkey, flying on the back of a pigeon, getting swallowed by a gigantic shark, saving Geppetto's life, and so much more that most readers will be completely unaware of if the only contact they've had with this sophisticated story is the Disney movie and the abbreviated children's picture book version. This simply outstanding and enthusiastically recommended edition of The Adventures of Pinocchio does full and complete justice to the wonder and storytelling skills that originally made the life and travails of a wooden puppet brought to life so universally beloved.

–Sharon Stuart, Midwest Book Review , August 2005

Publishers Weekly wrote of its original publication in 1988, "Innocenti's luminous interpretation of Collodi's tale carves the action out of 19th-century Italian landscapes. This Pinocchio races through cobbled city scenes and then throws himself prostrate at the person or fairy whom he has most recently wronged by his hasty, thoughtless behavior. When he becomes a real boy, the transformation is resounding."

–Publishers Weekly , September 2005

This volume is a revision of Innocenti's version of the classic tale (Creative Editions, 1988). Although the majority of the artwork can be found in the earlier edition, the layout and design have been modified, and some new scenes have been added. The book retains the 19th-century European setting, and the careful composition , use of perspective, and dark earth tones are an apt visual expression of this complex moral tale. A more delicate font and text framed on subtly shaded paper give the book a more classic look. Murray's new translation employs more lyrical phrasing and use of language than the earlier edition. Libraries owning the 1988 book needn't replace it, but those looking for a traditional treatment of Pinocchio should consider this handsome revision.

–Heide Piehler, School Library Journal , December 2005

This is an astonishingly beautiful book that may make the other volumes on a child's shelves look cheap and sawdusty by comparison. Carlo Collodi's original 1881 tale of the naughty, egotistical boy-puppet and his disastrous mishaps leaps to life via the rich illustrations of Roberto Innocenti, who himself should rank as an Italian national treasure. You can judge this book by its cover: The dust jacket predicts a bleak, wintry, Bruegelesque scene in which Pinocchio encounters a menacing pair of con artists, one a leering cat in overcoat and boots, the other a fox in fedora and open-fingered gloves (these baddies reappear inside the book as assassins disguised in caol sacks and brandishing shiny knives). This edition will likely douse any lingering affection children or their parents have for the Disney version of Pinocchio's escapades. In these pages, our hero doesn't skip about on jolly adventures with a talking cricket; he flattens the moralizing insect in a fit of pique. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the jagged sort of story that children love, full of violent and romantic adventure, of foolish braggadocio and wise authorial counsel. Ideal for reading aloud to those five and up and excellent solo reading for more sophisticated types.

–Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal , October 2005