Encrypted tickets, mischievous slippers, barefoot dancers, mobile labyrinths, peeing statues and other puzzles, intrigues and oddities in the sign of yellow. Here are the main ingredients of "What a mystery even if ... 31 stories for 31 puzzles to be revealed!" (Storybox Editore, 2023, Euro 15.90, pp. 160), the perfect book to put young readers to the test, to test their ability to observe details, grasp seemingly indecipherable clues, find elusive details and barely hinted traces , get to solve almost impossible cases.
The volume - illustrated by Silvia Baroncelli and the result of the collaboration between Storybox and the Italian Children's Writers Association ICWA (Italian Children's Writers Association) - has, in fact, its roots in the most classic of genres, yellow enigma, and offers thirty-one short stories (plus one) that tickle the curiosity of young aspiring detectives and whet their deductive skills.
From story to story it is therefore possible to exercise the subtle arts of investigation and try to guess the ending of every single adventurous story. The disappearance of musical notes, birthday cakes, tender green lawns or princely shoes are counterbalanced by equally mysterious and sudden appearances of objects that arouse curiosity, as in the sparkling story The mystery of the encrypted ticket by Ginevra Van Deflor which opens the volume. The book is a succession of funny and extravagant situations and characters: from Inspector Tontolo in Marco Dazzani's story to the shivering inhabitants of Fridge-Town created by Chiara Lossani. There are, among the potential culprits of these stories, smart and haughty cats, stubborn dung beetles or wild-eyed rabbits. Exceptional godfather and guest star of the collection is… Sherlock Holmes, who signs the preface and invites, at the end of the reading, to test himself in writing his own, very personal thriller. We asked Isabella Salmoirago, author of Under 18 books and owner of the Storybox publishing house, how did the choice of a yellow book for the little ones come about? «Riddles, investigations and mysteries are topics that fascinate the little ones. In our meetings with the authors we like to ask questions about the kind of stories that kids prefer and 'mysteries' are among the hottest topics, along with adventure and humour. Here, then, is why in this collection we have decided to combine detective stories and humor, thinking of a book that can accompany them in the summer months, day by day, for a month of reading. And then there is also an autobiographical factor: as a child I was a passionate reader of Mondadori's 'thrillers for boys'. A predilection that has remained with me even now when I look for novels for my summer readings. Summer and yellow go hand in hand, not just for a matter of color choices».
Why is the collaboration with ICWA important?
«ICWA, of which I myself belong as an author, is the only association in Italy that brings together children's writers. It takes care of networking among authors, offering training and refresher courses, puts authors in contact with local schools, and promotes reading through the widespread Scampia Storytelling festival which brings authors and stories to the most decentralized schools, those that due to lack of funds, meetings with the authors are difficult to organize. This collaboration is important because on the one hand it supports the association, on the other it offers the opportunity for expert and novice authors to work together on a single project, with a wonderful team spirit».
What peculiarities does a book like this, written by many hands, by 31 authors and authors?
«The beauty of this project is precisely the chorality of the voices, the difference of tones, the changing rhythm, as in a well thought out 'playlist'. Each story has a different author and, despite the unity of theme and genre chosen and established by the publisher, each author has been able to give his interpretation with originality. The result is what I was hoping for: a collection of short stories which, due to its variety of tones and rhythms, could excite young readers, proposing the successful formula already tested in previous releases, of proposing one story a day, for 31 days of readings, to be enjoyed alone or even as a shared reading, aloud».
A question to the editor: what does "making books" give for the youngest?
«As a publisher, it gives me enormous satisfaction. Recently one of our books, Signor Alfredo and the Magic of Books, was chosen to participate in the Gutemberg Festival in Catanzaro. Seeing it in the hands of so many guys, all together, was a wonderful emotion. It gave me the concrete perception of what can be done with books and stories: reaching the hearts and minds of many girls and boys. A great opportunity for them and a great responsibility for me, as a publisher, but one that motivates me a lot to continue on this path».
