Pinocchio: Tie-In (Paperback)

by Carlo Collodi (Author), Jack Zipes (Afterword) "Once UPON a time there was ... 'A king!' my young readers will instantly exclaim..." (more)
Key Phrases: poor puppet, four gold pieces, pumping machine, Talking Cricket, Field of Miracles, Big Oak (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Geppetto's new puppet can not only dance and turn somersaults, but also talks and misbehaves--and longs to be a real boy.

About the Author
Carlo Collodi (1826-1890) was the pen name of Carlo Lorenzini, an Italian journalist born in Florence. Collodi's life and writings were dedicated to the Italian liberation movement to free the country from Austrian domination and establish a national identity. In 1875, Collodi put aside his political struggles and turned to a new interest: writing for children. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451526376
• ISBN-13: 978-0451526373
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,512,911 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pinocchio was written by a man who knew children, September 4, 1999

By A Customer

Carlo Collodi remembered his childhood and realized that children must learn responsibility to truly become people.This is the ultimate lesson the story of Pinocchio teaches-while entertaining at the same time.

Getting Gepetto out of the whale was only the first step in Pinocchio's tranformation.He became a hard worker,working for a farmer whose donkey was ill.(This donkey had been a friend of Pinocchio's,who'd conned him into going to that place where boys became donkeys.)Pinocchio rebuffed the Fox and the Cat,apologized to the Talking Cricket and really helped support Gepetto- and later gave the money he'd been saving to a snail who said that the Fairy with Blue Hair needed money.This proved how changed Pinocchio was because this time selfish intentions were swept away by a wish to help others-instead of the other way around.Pinocchio became a real boy not long afterwards.

Today's society pampers children much much more than Collodi's society did in the mid-19th century.Children are supposed to be nice little boys and girls who only have fun and play with all kinds of toys(and Madison Avenue wants to keep them that way as long as possible).Thus,the Pinocchio story was reconstructed by adapters- including that Walton Dizzy fellow-to fit today's society.But children haven't really changed.Perhaps there is more of a need than ever for them to realize that everything cannot be handed to them on a silver platter.The real Pinocchio should become more well-known again.

To the reader in Wisconsin-this is not our fathers' Pinocchio,alright.This is our great-great-grandfathers' Pinocchio.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is not your father's Pinocchio., August 23, 1999

By A Customer

I grew up with a sanatized Pinocchio.

Walt Disney had presented a charming little boy, who had a little cricket friend, who learned his lesson and lived happily ever after.

A bit shocking to learn that Pinocchio is a brat.

The story itself is not at all what I expected, having been told for years that "Pinocchio" was a pleasant little tale. There is a dark side to the little wooden puppet -- a selfishness that is not usually portrayed in cartoons.

There is a lesson to be learned here; however, the lesson did not come as I expected it to. The book was definitely worth reading; just be prepared for a Pinocchio of a different color.