Aventurile lui Pinocchio

Geppetto, a poor woodcarver, makes a wooden puppet that comes to life. Pinocchio is stubborn, easily led and fond of lies, which make his nose grow. He skips school, sells his schoolbook for a puppet show ticket, falls in with the Fox and the Cat, and ends up inside the belly of a giant shark. Collodi's original is darker and more irreverent than the film most people know, with a talking cricket who gets squashed early on.

A fine read for children who like adventure with a moral edge, and for adults curious about the Italian original behind the popular retellings.

Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.

Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?