Gianni Rodari Widely considered the father of modern Italian
children's literature, Gianni Rodari (1920-1980) grew up in
Northern Italy and wrote hundreds of stories, poems, and songs for children. In
1960, he collaborated with the Education Coopertion Movement to develop
exercises to encourage children's creative and critical thinking abilities. The
recipient of the prestigious Andersen Prize in recognition of his contribution
to children's literature, he was also an educator of paramount importance in
Italy and an activist who understood the liberating power of the imagination.