Carlo Collodi

Hello. My name is Carlo, but people all over the world know me by my other name, Collodi. I was born in a beautiful city full of art and sunshine called Florence, in Italy, on November 24th, 1826. My family's last name was actually Lorenzini. I chose the name Collodi later on to honor my mother, because it was the name of the little town where she grew up. I had a big family and was one of ten children. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was get lost in a good book. I loved reading stories and learning new things about the world.

When I grew up, I became a writer, which was my greatest passion. At first, I wrote stories and articles for newspapers, and all of these were intended for grown-ups. I also found it very enjoyable to write funny plays that people could go and see performed on a stage. My life wasn't only about writing, however. There was a time when I put down my pen and became a soldier because I felt it was important to help my country, Italy. But I always came back to my love of writing. For many years, I was certain that I would only write for adults. I had absolutely no idea that my most famous story, the one that would travel the world, would be one I wrote just for children.

One day, a wonderful opportunity came my way. An editor asked me if I would write a story for a children's magazine. This was a new and exciting challenge for me. So, in 1881, I started writing a tale I called 'The Story of a Marionette.' It was about a special little wooden puppet who was carved by a kind old man named Geppetto. This puppet wasn't ordinary at all—he could walk and talk just like a real boy. I gave him the name Pinocchio. Every single week, a new part of his amazing adventure would appear in the magazine. Children all over couldn't wait to find out what happened next. They loved it so much that in 1883, all the parts were collected together and made into one big book called 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'.

I lived to be 63 years old and spent my whole life in my beloved city of Florence. Even though I wrote many different stories and articles for grown-ups, it is the story of the little wooden puppet, Pinocchio, that people remember the most. Today, my book about Pinocchio has been read by children all over the world. It has been translated into hundreds of different languages so that everyone can enjoy it. It makes me happy to know that his story still teaches important lessons about the importance of being brave, telling the truth, and always listening to your heart.