Bologna, Italy.

Spring 2014 [JOURNAL JODI WORTSMAN]

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The very day I received an e-mail about the International
Childrens Book Fair in Bologna, I applied for the program. In
fact, I applied within minutes. There was no need to think
about it I wanted to be a part of this extraordinary
opportunity. I love childrens books and I love the idea of
expanding my global perspective on childrens literature. A
chance to share a weeklong trip to Italy with like-minded
colleagues was too good to be true. I was thrilled to hear from
Kate Marek that I was selected to go. Following are my
thoughts and insights about the experience.

Monday, March 24
We arrived in Bologna right on time! I left all of my euros on the counter at Lufthansa. Not the best way
to start the trip, but everyone in our group was so gracious to lend me money until I could exchange
some. We checked into the residence and headed straight to the
Bologna book fair. After circling the building a few times, we found
the entrance. The fair is absolutely enormous! It is at least 5 times
as big as ALA in Chicago. There are rooms that are dedicated to
certain parts of the world. My first overall impression was that
there were a lot of unique styles of books, many of which had cut
outs or folding board books. They do not all fall into the
conventional style of a book as I imagine it front and back cover,
pages in the middle. What defines a book? Is it design or content?
I was also able to attend two interesting programs from Israel:
Orit Bergman is an author and illustrator. The theme of her talk was Illustrations beyond the page. She
talked about how her books are more than just a two dimensional book. She has a circus book that
includes punch out figures that can be used to create a circus playset. This goes back to my question
what defines a book? I like the idea of moving beyond stagnant pages. Bergmans books come alive and
invite interaction and play. I am not aware of such books in America, but that is not to say they dont
exist. I just havent come across any. In Israel, Bergman also designed a life-size circus scene for kids to
act out the story in real life. Another interesting book she wrote was a beautifully illustrated version of
the Book of Esther. This is something I will look for and try to purchase for my synagogue.
Orna Granot Curator of the Childrens Illustration library at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. She talked
about their collection of childrens illustrations from past to present. At her library, books are organized
alphabetically by illustrators last name because that is the focus of their library. She noted that children
are very often impressed by the pictures that they see in a book, but often they do not know the name
of the illustrator. This library seeks to focus on the importance of the illustrations. This idea just rocks
my world. What a great idea! When I have my own school library, I plan to do author/illustrator studies
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with my students. I will definitely keep the ideas learned here in the forefront of my mind as I plan
lessons and organize the library. The Childrens Illustration library is a non-lending library, but offers a
place for families to share books and programs together
I was intrigued by a publisher who made books for children who were either
hearing impaired or academically delayed. The books told fairy tales through
rebus-like panels that resemble picture cues used by special education
teachers in America. It is a very unique and worthwhile concept.
Tuesday, March 25
I again noticed a lot of paper cutouts and interesting pages at the fair. At the bookstore, I found a
beautiful copy of Swan Lake with intricate, lace-like pages published in Italy.
I attended a presentation on Fairy Tales as Therapy. It was given by two psychologists from Brazil and
translated through headsets into English. The doctors talked about how they use fairy tales to mirror the
experiences of their patients. For instance, Sleeping Beauty is used to facilitate discussions with children
dealing with drugs. This session confirmed for me the importance of classic folk and fairy tales as lasting
commentaries on the human condition. Fairy tales need to be part of our childrens repertoire so that
they are familiar to them and can be used for educational or therapeutic purposes when needed.
In the evening, after the book fair closed, we went
to an art exhibition for a Japanese
author/illustrator, Katsumi K. Magata, at the Music
museum. His books are written in Japanese and
French and contain a lot of cut outs and pop ups.
He has a very minimalist style, and
invites interaction between the books
and readers. I think these kinds of
books are appealing to American
readers, as evidenced by the success of
One by Kathryn Otoshi, and Press Here
by Herve Tullet. We also had an opportunity to tour the museum after
the art exhibit. It was interesting how the town embraced and supported the book fair.
I find that I am often attracted to American publishers. Why? Are they more familiar? Do I know them or
are they similar to other things Ive read?
The wall of illustrators was a virtual microcosm of global illustrations. Artists pin up copies of their
artwork and leave cards or tear strips for those interested. It is a good way to match authors and
illustrators, or publishers and illustrators. It made me think of a way to get an illustrator for my
upcoming masterpiece, Archie the (Not So) Smart Poodle.

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Wednesday, March 26
We had a busy day of sightseeing in Bologna.
First, we went to the Art Museum where we saw hundreds of pictures of the Madonna, Jesus, and the
whole gang. Literally, that is all that was there. It is interesting how religion
defined the culture for such a long time (1200s through the 1800s.) I learned a lot
about the various saints in Catholicism. Some pictures had items that were
contemporary for the artist, but not for the time setting of the painting. For
example, Mary was holding a cross while being told she would be a virgin mother.
Why would she have held the symbol of the cross prior to the birth of Christ? One
picture of Madonna gazing at Jesus really helped me connect with the humanity of
a mother and her child. I also realized two things about art and religion: 1. Art is a
way that people record and tell their stories and 2. Religion is a big part of a
persons identity. I think we (publishers, librarians, teachers) shy away from religion in literature today in
an effort to remain politically correct. It seems we are doing a disservice to children by not exposing
them to a large part of their identity or those of their friends and classmates. Personally, I did not relate
to the art in this museum at all, but it was interesting to learn about.
In contrast, as we wound our way through the old Jewish ghetto, I felt very comfortable. We found the
Museo Ebraica (Jewish Museum) tucked in a corner of the ghetto, only accessible by pressing a button
and being allowed to enter. I was immediately comforted by the Hebrew writing and the Judaica. I
worried that the others might have felt bored or pressured to go to the museum because I was so
excited, but they were all polite and seemed interested. As with the Japanese artist mentioned
yesterday, there was an exhibit of Orit Bergman (who I listened to at the book fair on the first day) at
the Museo Ebraica. Again, the connection between the town of Bologna and the book fair was very
strong. I also saw random books on display in storefront windows throughout the city. I love the way
childrens literature is valued and celebrated in Bologna.
The library at the University of Bologna was quite impressive and beautiful. We followed a group of
school children (who didnt look thrilled to be there) and listened to an explanation in Italian. At least we
got to see the library.
We then saw three churches. Each was interesting and beautiful in its own way. One was a total of
seven separate churches. I feel like I am supposed to be enamored and awed by them. They are
certainly impressive in terms of architecture and design. But I cant help thinking about who attended
these churches in the past. I wonder if people in these churches were involved in the persecution of the
Jews at one time. It is hard for me to get behind that. I may be totally off base, but it is a feeling I cannot
ignore. Judaism is a huge part of my identity, and being here makes it even more apparent to me.

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Thursday, March 27
As I am writing this, I can hear church bells ringing. It is so cool since we are at the Dominican residence.
The windows are open and there are no screens and no bugs. What a wonderful feeling.
Today we went to Modena, where they make balsamic vinegar. First we
went to a museum that contained many artifacts, as well as the
bibliotecha. Apparently, there was an earthquake two years prior to our
arrival and the library was not safe to visit. Luckily for us, Thom spoke
Italian and is immensely likeable. He spoke to the curator, who brought
out two boxes containing beautiful replicas of the Bible of Borso dEste.
The curator was very accommodating to offer us this chance to view
these bibles. She went out of their way to find a room where we could
view them and never made us feel rushed in any way. The bibles were beautifully illuminated with
pictures and intricate borders. In the original, real gold was used to highlight the pictures. One notable
illustration was Noahs Ark. This could easily be published today as a childrens bible.
Lunch phenomenal veggie pizza and Coke light. They sell pizza by weight. I could eat my weight in their
pizza.
After lunch we shopped in the covered market. There was a lot of fresh fruit and veggies, meat, cheese
and balsamic vinegar. Many of us indulged in balsamic vinegar, particularly Amanda. It was like a drug to
her.
There were also a lot of book stores to browse in Modena and Bologna. I noticed a lot of Peppa Pig
books, games, stuffed animals. Peppa is quite cute with her sideways nose. I have never heard of Peppa,
but I am assured she exists in the U.S. I dont think she is quite as popular as she is here. I will check her
out when I get home.
Visited the Duomo a Romanesque church build around 1184. Duomo means the largest church in
the area. This one was huge and right in the middle of Modena. It looked a lot like all the other churches
we have seen thus far.
As we were walking in circles, I saw a building with Hebrew
writing on it. It was a gorgeous synagogue right in the
middle of town. I was surprised by how large and well
cared for it was, and how prominent it was. I was giddy to
find this gem in the land of a thousand churches.
Unfortunately, it was not open to the public while we were
there.
Gelato had pistachio and dark chocolate great
combination. Im not sure why it is so good. We have great
ice cream in the states. Maybe it is the unique flavors, smooth texture, or just the fact that I am eating it
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in Italy!
Friday, March 28
We took a train to Venice today. It was a fantastic day - sunny and 66
degrees and water all around. The minute we stepped out of the train
station, we were treated to a sunny view of the Grand Canal. In this
spot it is about the width of the Chicago River. We met Thoms friend,
Leisl, who is an opera singer in Venice. She took us around a bit, and
brought us to a library with a nice childrens collection. It was in an old
building funded by the shoemakers guild at the time (as evidenced by
the shoes carved over the doorway). We went upstairs to the library. It
was about 1/3 the size of the Westfield library (my middle school). Books were shelved by Dewey.
Fiction was cataloged in the 800s. 813 was used for American
literature; 853.91 was for Italian literature. It is interesting to
note that we have moved away from the original Dewey 800
categories for fictional literature in America, and created
separate (very large) sections for fiction. In this small library,
they still use the original categories. There were a lot of English
books translated to Italian T he Giver, Diary of a Wimpy Kid,
Dork Diaries, and Percy Jackson, for instance. As a side note,
there were frescos on the wall which were very cool to see.
I had lunch on the Grand Canal with Calli, Sophie and Amanda.
It was a beautiful view and (of course) delicious. I really love
the people in our group particularly Lori, Keeshana and Calli.
They are the grounded, positive, flexible and fun to be with. I
feel a special little connection to Keeshana she has the best
attitude and is hilarious. On the way back from Venice, the
train conductor was giving her a hard time about not validating
her ticket. We laughed the whole way home. I am going to try it on my kids Be quiet.
While not laughing on the train, we discussed ideas for the syllabus: 1. Have a reading list and pre-
assignments. 2. Meet once a month before the trip to have class and learn prior to going. Maybe have a
lecture on international childrens literature so that we have some background before getting to the fair.

Saturday, March 29
Our last day in Bologna. We saw the Basilica of St. Dominic and his tomb. It was
particularly beautiful, especially in the side alcoves/chapels that were painted with
gold on the ceilings. The rest was white. I saw the actual skull of Saint Dominic in
his crypt (there was a glass window). It was pretty creepy. Keeshana helped me get
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a picture by telling me when the guard had turned his head (no foto!) She is a bad influence on me!
But seriously, it was quite interesting to view the tomb of St. Dominic and learn about his pious efforts
to bring faith to all people. There is definitely a connection between his philosophy and that of our own
Dominican University.
Then we all went shopping. After an hour or so, Lori, Keeshana and I broke off. It was interesting how we
all split into groups very naturally. The older/moms stuck together. Youngsters Amanda, Laurel, Julia,
Beth went together. The quiet ones Maggie, Kara, Maddie went to the university library. It is
interesting how people tend to gravitate to others who are like them in terms of attitude, experiences,
and place in life. Its also interesting how a group operates. It is hard to maneuver the bigger it is. When
we split up, things went smoother. Its harder to move a large object.
Following are some general thoughts about the trip and the group dynamics:
Timing This was the right amount of time. The group took a day or two to get settled into a rhythm.
Days 2 6 were great. Day 7 started to become a little more work. As an entire group, we had to split up
at this time. Individually, or in 2-3, we could keep going.
Diversity Our group was diversified in a few of ways: by age, race, and religion. It was a great mix that
worked well together and complemented each other.
Size twelve may be a little big. 8-10 students might be better. There are a lot of personalities to
accommodate and, as I said, the larger the group, the harder it is to maneuver.
Language - Everyone in Italy has been so nice and helpful for us. Thom has also been a lifesaver. He just
hovers and waits for one of us to be in distress, and then he swoops in and saves the day with this
Italian. Thanks, Thom!
Learning - We definitely experienced three credit hours of learning since we were immersed in this
culture 24/7. We students and Thom often discussed the literature and libraries we saw and how it was
similar or different from ours.
Overall verdict great, great trip. Arrivaderci!

Post script:
Wednesday, April 2
My group presented at the Global Learning Symposium. I was very impressed with what I learned from
my classmates. Their insights really helped to enrich my learning in Italy. Some things they talked about -
the language, the churches, the art, and the book fair I experienced as well. But they had different
perspectives that never occurred to me. Some things I did not experience (the University of Bologna
library tour), but found Karas animated description fascinating. I think in future classes such as this, a
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meeting to go over impressions and experiences in a somewhat formalized setting would benefit all
participants immensely.
Saturday, April 5
Today I picked up our foreign exchange student, Sasha, from Paris, France. She will be staying with us for
two weeks. It was very interesting to see someone else enter a foreign country just like I did twelve days
ago. I was a lot more empathetic than I might have been prior to my trip. As far as the language, I
realized that you dont have to be perfect to understand one another. I tend to be a perfectionist and
am generally unwilling to try to speak a language if I have any doubts. I learned in Italy that close enough
is good enough and that people are forgiving. I also realized with Sasha that I can understand her broken
English and she can understand my broken French. It works. We can all take a few steps towards each
other and meet in the middle. And we both learn a lot and grow in the process.