Giovanni "Gianni" Rodari was an Italian writer and journalist, most famous for his children's books, notably Il romanzo di Cipollino. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer he received the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1970 and many consider him Italy's most important twentieth-century children's author. His books have been translated into many languages, though few have been published in English.
He is perhaps best known for developing the story of Cipollino. The story of Cipollino was popular enough to have a ballet staged in the Soviet Union in 1973, composed by Karen Khachaturian and choreographed by Genrik Alexandrovich Maiorov. Cipollino, or Little Onion, fights the unjust treatment of his fellow vegetable townfolk by the fruit royalty (Prince Lemon and the overly proud Tomato) in the garden kingdom. The main theme is the "struggle of the underclass and the powerful, good versus evil" and the importance of friendship in the face of difficulties.
