The Grammar of Fantasy: An Introduction to the Art of Inventing Stories by Giann

Publisher Description

"The ultimate synthesis of Rodari's exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets." -Italo Calvino

A groundbreaking pedagogical work that is also a handbook for writers of all ages and kinds, The Grammar of Fantasy offers a playful, practical path to finding your own voice through the power of storytelling. Full of ideas, glosses on fairy tales, stories, and wide-ranging activities, this book changed how the creative arts were taught in Italian schools.

Gianni Rodari is not only revered as a children's author, but also remembered for his visionary pedagogy, and it is these two fields he combines in this revolutionary work.

Translated into English by acclaimed scholar of folklore and children's literature Jack Zipes, and with original art from Matthew Forsythe, this edition of The Grammar of Fantasy is one to live with and return to for its humor, intelligence, and remarkable understanding of children and the imagination.

Review

Holds great value for the adults who teach kids and the adults who write for them... The book is funny, freewheeling and angry, animated by Rodari's fury at an educational system in which 'imagination is still treated like a poor relation of attention and memory...' He offers classroom games that puncture the barriers between academic disciplines... The Grammar of Fantasy is less a manual on how to write for kids than a treatise on why we must respect them as readers, written by an author whose life's work was underpinned by an appreciation of the child's 'underlying seriousness, and the moral engagement that she brings to everything she does.' -- Mac Barnett, U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature * The New York Times *
I'm having a hard time containing my excitement... It's great for teachers and the classroom, but also for any artist or person who is looking to be more creative. Honestly, it would even be great in the self-help category, on how to unleash your own voice. -- Betsy Bird * A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog) *
"The ultimate synthesis of Rodari's exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets." -- Italo Calvino
This is a spectacularly gorgeous book (as is everything from Enchanted Lion). * Golden Hour Books (Indianapolis, IN) *

Promotional

From Gianni Rodari, the father of modern Italian children's literature, The Grammar of Fantasy is a guide to fairy tales and their potential for teaching creative storytelling to artists of all ages and abilities-with radiant illustrations from award-winning author-illustrator Matt Forsythe and a refreshed translation from Jack Zipes.

Long Description

A collection of essays from the visionary storyteller Gianni Rodari about fairy tales and folk tales and their great advantages in teaching creative storytelling. 'Rodari grasped children's need to play with life's rules by using the grammar of their own imaginations. They must be encouraged to question, challenge, destroy, mock, eliminate, generate, and reproduce their own language and meanings through stories that will enable them to narrate their own lives.' - Jack Zipes Translated into English by acclaimed children's historian Jack Zipes and illustrated for the first time ever by Matthew Forsythe, this edition of The Grammar of Fantasy is one to live with and return to for its humor, intelligence, and truly deep understanding of children. A groundbreaking pedagogical work that is also a handbook for writers of all ages and kinds, The Grammar of Fantasy gives each of us a playful, practical path to finding our own voice through the power of storytelling.

Review Quote

RODARI'S LEGACY AS CHAMPION OF CHILDREN'S IMAGINATION: Building on the splash our English translation of Telephone Tales made in the US in 2020. BREAKING DOWN STORYTELLING FOR TEACHERS & WRITERS NEW ILLUSTRATIONS FROM MATT FORSYTHE

Description for Sales People

RODARI'S LEGACY AS CHAMPION OF CHILDREN'S IMAGINATION:Building on the splash our English translation of Telephone Tales madein the US in 2020. BREAKING DOWN STORYTELLING FOR TEACHERS & WRITERS NEW ILLUSTRATIONS FROM MATT FORSYTHE

Details