Niente da fare

"Niente da fare" is one of those Italian expressions that do not translate easily. "There´s nothing to do" is the literal meaning, but it can also mean "there´s no point" or "no luck".  Our little hero in this book seems bored, "there´s nothing to do". So he looks for and adventure, but at first with "no luck".
 

Silvia Borando is a well-known name for all who are interested in Italian children´s literature. She is one of the creative forces behind the publisher "Minibombo", a publishing house that produces literature and apps. Their goal is to use "simple forms and essential texts" to invite readers to participate and play. 

 

"Niente da fare" is a Minibombo-book, very true to the idea of simple form. Each spread is either in black and white or in black and white with one or two added colors. Borando uses very simple drawing that resemble stylized children´s drawings. Her cartoon-like style conveys a lot of emotions using very simple effects. This style, combined with the large amount of white space on each page, leaves a lot of room for the reader´s imagination and interpretations.  All the pictures are full spreads, making it easy for the young reader to follow along. The format is perfect, a sturdy hardcover in a book that is not too big or heavy for small hands.

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I find this book is especially suited for the youngest children, because it is so relatable for them. Young children are discovering the world in a body they are not necessarily in complete control of. This leads to accidents - things are knocked over, misunderstandings happen. The young child in this book makes these misunderstandings all the time. As an example, look at the two spreads below: The child is so happy to find a red ball, only to learn that it is the house of the snail.  The snail is clearly not very happy with the misunderstanding and yells at him. And so the book goes - a pretty flower turns out to be a bunny´s tail, a rock turns out to be a turtle, a fun branch to climb in are the horns of an elk... our little hero is truly out of luck. And life for a toddler is sometimes frustrating, all skills need to be repeated again and again in order to finally learn to do it right. But at the end, our hero finally "gets it",  by finding an understanding friend that does not mind his mistake and includes him in his play.

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For adults, this book is a good reminder of the importance of allowing boredom to be part of a child´s life. In boredom, creativity is born, learning is made, like with this little boy who after trying lots of different things, suddenly finds a form of play to be immersed in. So important to remember in the age of social media and constant entertainment!

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When reading, make sure you also take a look at the picture at the back cover, to discover the last misunderstanding!

More reviews of Silvia Borando´s books are coming up, so stay tuned for updates!​