Francesca Pirrone is a freelance illustrator from Italy. As a child, she used to draw for hours. Her mother got so angry that she confiscated the eraser . . . but it was all for nothing. Francesca went to the Art Institute in Florence and studied engraving, decorating, sculpture, and mosaic. Her passion is to illustrate children’s books. She loves to create characters and invent stories for them. Of the tactile books she has made for blind children, two received awards from the Italian Federation of the Blind. In 2016 she was honored with the International Key Colours Award for her book Bruno Has One Hundred Friends.
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Originally published in Europe, this book portrays the friendship between a bunny and a pig who resembles Ian Falconer’s Olivia in a black-and-yellow striped top. It has been translated into English, but it might have been better with no words. While the text is almost entirely generic platitudes about friendship, the artwork is exquisite. Each bromide about friendship is followed by three full-page panels that tell a wordless story about the pig and the bunny’s friendship. They go shopping together, console one another, argue, and make up. Some of the stories, though, are confusing in their brevity and lack a clear resolution. Sophisticated black pen-and-ink linework is the book’s greatest strength. Only the pig’s shirt is in color, and each triptych features only one other accent color. For instance, the ice cream is pink or the tissue box is blue. VERDICT A tenderhearted tale that emphasizes fun, respect, and common interests between friends. An asset to larger collections.
– School Library Journal
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