Per un Rodari “ecologico”
About an “Ecological” Rodari

Summary/Abstract: In his works, Gianni Rodari always had an attentive eye for the environment and the ways in which it was described. At the time when an invariably beautiful and positive vision of nature prevailed, he wrote stories that, while entertaining, made the reader think. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Rodari largely anticipated the themes of environmental emergency. As he dedicated many of his poems, fables and articles to environmental issues, the methodological starting point for this study involves compiling a complete catalogue of Rodari’s works published in books and magazines. In the next step, their most recurring themes are identified (adults’ inattention to the needs of children, property speculation, the changing of the seasons, animals unable to find their way around in pollution-suffocated cities, etc.), and Rodari’s style is assessed as always aiming for lightness and smile, rather than for didacticism. The results show that Rodari skilfully used fantasy to bring out the importance of respect for the environment and the role that childhood could have in the development of positive attitudes to the environment. The conclusion reasserts the current relevance of Rodari’s works and their validity in education as viewed from an ecological perspective.

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