Classic Starts®: Pinocchio
The young puppet Pinocchio dreams of becoming a real boy. But whenever he tries to prove himself worthy of the transformation, he falls into mischief and laziness. Pinocchio must learn the hard way how to become honest, kind, and—above all—human. One of the most-translated works in children’s literature, Pinocchio is a thrilling story about improving one’s character and learning how to live in an often-harsh world.
Carlo Collodi (1826–1890), whose real name was Carlo Lorenzini, was born in Florence, Italy. Collodi began his career as a journalist writing about politics. Later in his life, he became a writer of children’s literature. The Adventures of Pinocchio was published in a weekly children’s magazine beginning in 1881. Since then, the story has been translated into more than 250 languages around the world.