BY KHUMBULANI MULEYA
POPULAR Italian fairy-tale Pinocchio, the classic children’s fable about a wooden puppet whose best-known characteristic is a long nose for fibbing, has been translated into a Shona book for children.
A childhood favourite, the book titled The Adventures of Pinocchio, is the most recognised among generations of young and old Zimbabwean readers.
The book is a classic children’s novel that tells the story of the little puppet which wants to be a real boy and is perhaps best known as the basis for the 1940 Disney film adaptation.
Originally written by Italian author Carlo Collodi, the version of the book titled Pinokiyo was recently translated into the Shona language by former National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Elvas Mari and celebrated writer, storyteller, and musician Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa.
The book’s illustrations, layout and graphic designs was done by Antonella Bargione.
The Italian embassy in Harare last week donated more than 1 000 copies of the book to the Primary and Secondary Education ministry for distribution to 500 schools across the country at a ceremony held at Harare City Library.
The ceremony coincided with celebrations of the sixth edition of the Italian Cuisine Week, where attendees were served with a variety of Italian dishes and wine.
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Primary and Secondary Education ministry acting secretary, Gabriel Mhuma, who was the guest of honour at the event, said the book donation would go a long way in promoting a culture of reading, especially in the remotest areas of the country and among disadvantaged communities.
“Books play a crucial role in the lives of people as reading is not only informative, but also provides therapy,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Italian acting ambassador Simonetta Bartolomei said the embassy was pleased to partner the Education ministry for the distribution of the books to local schools.
NACZ, whose duty is to promote, develop and oversee the role of culture and heritage, was also part of the proceedings.
NACZ deputy director Josiah Kusena said: “As the leading agent of government in the field of arts, culture and heritage, performances and entertainment, we are happy to have been part of discussions and negotiations that eventually saw the publishing of this book.
“Our organisation hopes that this book donation will assist in firing the neurons of imagination among the minds of the young generation.”
Pupils from Selbourne Routledge, Genesis College, After Care Trust, Moffat, Girls High and Vatal schools were each handed a copy by the Italian cultural attaché Massimo Amedeo and given a platform to express their creativity through poetry recitals and presentations.
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