Ecological Issues in Works by Giana Anguissola and Gianni Rodari

The aim of this paper is to examine ecological issues in Italian children’s literature by focusing on the works of two Italian writers who criticize, from different perspectives, the lack of ecological awareness in modern humans. The writers are Giana Anguissola (1906–1966), loved by the young female readership of the day for her vividly ironic style and rounded female characters, and Gianni Rodari (1920–1980), effectively combining realism and fantasy to encourage his readers’ critical thinking. Anguissola’s Le straordinarie vacanze di Violetta (1964) places the protagonists of her prior Milan-set Violetta la timida in the new setting of the Piacenza countryside, where charismatic Don Piero has revived ancient farming practices: the local farmers do not use chemical fertilizers, machines or herbicides, and they transport their produce to the town by carts. Rodari explicitly addresses ecological themes in some of his articles and in two stories: “Il pifferaio e le automobili” (Tante storie per giocare, 1971) and “Il mondo in scatola” (Novelle fatte macchina, 1973). In the former tale, the narrative unfolds in a city completely overrun by cars, and in the latter, a surreal plot revolves around the problem of waste.

Forming Homo Sovieticus: The Impact of the Communist Ideology on the First Polish Translations of Gianni Rodari’s Poems

Gianni Rodari’s works first appeared in Poland when he was yet little known, if not rather unpopular, in his homeland. In the 1950s, Italian criticism ignored Rodari’s literary efforts as a ‘militant’ communist, his works only reached a narrow circle of readers, and it would take some years until he garnered popularity in his homeland. Meanwhile, what the Italians failed to appreciate appeared to be gaining an almost instant recognition in the USSR and the Eastern Bloc countries. As a member of the Italian Communist Party, the Editor-in-Chief of the children’s magazine Pioniere, and an eager supporter of communism, Rodari won favour with the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic. The earliest translations of Rodari’s poetry were published in the Polish press as early as in 1953. They were based on Russian translations by Samuil Marshak, whom the Polish authorities notably considered a perfect children’s writer. Both Russian and Polish versions of Rodari’s poemst tend to differ greatly from the original texts and to bear a heavy ideological imprint. My argument in this article seeks to answer the following questions: Which of Rodari’s poems were translated into Polish in the 1950s and by whom? How are they different from the Italian originals? What was their reception in Poland? How was Rodari portrayed in Poland at the time?