Carlo Collodi

Hello! My name is Carlo Lorenzini, but the world knows me by my pen name, Carlo Collodi. I was born on November 24th, 1826, in a beautiful city called Florence, in what is now Italy. My father was a cook and my mother was a seamstress. Even though we didn't have much money, our house was filled with love and stories. I loved to read and learn, and for a while, I even studied to become a priest. But my heart had other plans for me. I was full of ideas and questions, and I knew I wanted to be a writer.

When I was a young man, Italy was not one big country like it is today. It was made up of many small states. I dreamed of a united Italy, and I believed in it so much that I volunteered as a soldier to help fight for this dream in 1848. After my time in the army, I put my energy into writing. I became a journalist and started my own newspaper. I loved to use humor to write about serious political ideas. I also wrote plays and other books, but my biggest adventure was still to come.

Later in my life, I began writing for children. I started by translating famous French fairy tales into Italian. Then, in 1881, an editor asked me to write an original story for a children's magazine called 'Giornale per i bambini.' This is when I created a character you might know: a mischievous wooden puppet named Pinocchio. His story was called 'La storia di un burattino,' which means 'The Story of a Puppet.' Pinocchio got into all sorts of trouble, and I actually planned for his story to have a very short, sad ending! But the children who read the magazine loved him so much that they begged for more. So, I kept writing, and in 1883, the full story was published as a book, 'The Adventures of Pinocchio.'

I lived to be 63 years old, passing away in my beloved Florence in 1890. I never got to see just how famous my little wooden puppet would become. After my time, 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' traveled far beyond Italy. It has been translated into hundreds of languages and is one of the most-read books in the world. My story of a puppet who wanted to be a real boy has been turned into plays and famous movies, teaching children everywhere about the importance of being brave, truthful, and kind. It fills me with joy to know that my creation, Pinocchio, continues to capture hearts and imaginations all over the world.