Those were hard times. The war had started. Germany had invaded Poland. Soon after, Lithuania had been occupied by the Soviet Union. Most of the Lithuanians were considered enemies of the S.U. since they had not celebrated their arrival. And enemies should be gotten rid of. They started deportations. They took people out their homes and sent them in the farthest, harsh lands of Siberia. Many of them died. Others were more lucky, like the children who were sent back on "the train of little orphans". Algis, my father, was one of them.

The lives of Ada is a book about metamorphosis. An unidentified being travels through different bodies, creatures and things, each one of which triggers a different story, until a touching, surprising ending. Text by Gaia Formenti and Marco Piccarreda is illustrated by Sarah Mazzetti, recently awarded by Bologna Children's Book Fair. [Text in Italian]

Fox & Chick are back with new, hilarious adventures. This time they are up to a quiet boat ride, eating a mysterious chocolate cake and watching the sunrise. All sorts of things in Ruzzierian style will happen. [Text in Italian]

A little boy and a bird. A cute mysterious thing that once was there and then no more. What does "no more" mean to a child? This meeting on a balcony becomes a true experience of knowledge. A story as simple as wide as children's curiosity, by renowned writer Nicola Cinquetti, and illustrated by Juliana Salcedo, here at her first book published in Italy.
[Text in Italian]

Many things in life go by. They transform, they go away. Sleep ends. A small wound heals leaving (almost) no scar... Music flies away, dark thoughts disappear, sky clears up after the rain, and fear dissolves. In this metamorphosis of small things, something will stay forever. Beatrice Alemagna is back with a delicately ironic picture book dedicated to all readers, from zero to two hundred years old. [Text in Italian]

In summer the storm bursts; the cuckoo sings; poppies blossom. In winter, the snow falls; the dormouse sleeps; soup's cooking. In summer, In winter is the fourth board book written by Giovanna Zoboli and illustrated by Philip Giordano (other books from the series: When the sun rises; In the sky, In the sea; On the ground, Under the ground). 24 pages of opposites and complements about seasons, to observe new shapes and discover the world.
[Text in Italian]

A long, longtime ago, there was an emperor with a terrible passion for new and expensive clothes; he would spend all his money in luxurious garments and decoration. He didn't care about soldiers, theatre or travelling through his empire, all he was interested in was showing off the most fashionable outfits. He had one for each time of the day and would spend most of his life in his wardrobe. The famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen about the foolish and hypocritical nature of power is finely illustrated by Albertine in a brand new translation by Daniela Iride Murgia. [Text in Italian]

The world in 1914: people wear hats, watch horse races and go to picnics, many of them work in factories, women ask for more rights, the Great War starts (and will end four years later). That same year, Lina Bo Bardi was born in Rome. She wants to become an architect and she's firmly convinced that architecture cannot exist without people. She devotes herself to study and design, she runs building sites and she founds very important magazines. She escapes the war and travels to Brazil, where she'll meet famous architects learning a great deal from them.

Spirituality is part of children's lives, who experience the world far and wide including the invisible. Silvia Vecchini investigates the inner life of children as a fundamental aspect of mankind, which should not be neglected but supported with specific instruments during their growth. Picture books can enhance dialogue and the understanding of life in its complexity.