For the second title, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, illus. by Roberto Innocenti, PW 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." Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Reviews

Gr 1-4-There is an audience for picture-book adaptations of Pinocchio-those looking for something between Carlo Collodi's bitter and darkly violent original tale and Disney's frothy and sugarcoated story. Unfortunately, this version won't satisfy any taste. The retellers have shortened the text to make it more accessible to young children, and much of the sense of drama and adventure has been lost, as has Pinocchio's gradual moral transformation. The streamlined story's abrupt transitions from scene to scene are jarring and may confuse readers, as when Pinocchio wakes to find his feet burned off. Key scenes are completely omitted. Children are shown neither his bouts of remorse nor his appreciation for those who have been kind to him, leaving only the image of a selfish, lazy, and superficial boy/puppet. Collodi's obvious moral lessons are nowhere to be found here. Philpot's cartoon-style watercolors have a competent, but commercial, feeling-as uninspired and bland as the text. Those looking for an adaptation that honors the spirit of the original tale should consider Ed Young's Pinocchio (Philomel, 1996).-Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.