John G. Stoffolano Jr.

Tonino: the Adventures of a Boy / Cricket from Boston's North End John G. Stoffolano Jr.

Tonino is a young, curious cricket boy, living with his family in Boston. Life is good for young Tonino, but he suspects there's more to the world than his own backyard. He wants to learn about foreign cultures, but mostly he wants to learn about his own family roots. He heads to Italy, where he is surprised to meet the famous Blue Fairy, who was friends with Tonino's ancestor-the cricket guide to Pinocchio. Whereas Tonino's ancestor was put in charge of young Pinocchio's conscience, Tonino is given a much more universal conscience. He is charged with the conscience of the world and the well-being of its environment, a big change to his personal journey. No longer is he looking after the story of his family; now he looks after the story of Mother Earth! Suddenly, he is transported on a worldwide adventure . . . He heads to Puerto Rico and meets the Ta? no people. He visits a monarch in Mexico and cricket warriors in China. In the American Southwest, he learns about the spirit of the cricket "katsina"; in Hawaii, he encounters Pele's rage. It's a lot to take in for the young cricket boy, but ultimately he discovers that seeking his roots is only the beginning in the wide world of biodiversity, cultural diversity, and conservation of both. The boy/cricket is baptized Anthony at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. His parents live in the North End where his mother kept hearing the television advertisement "Anthony, Anthony, It's Prince Spaghetti Day" so they named him Anthony. "Naming him Anthony was straight forward, but naming him Tonino was at the brilliant suggestion of Dr. William Cooley, retired Northampton Ophthalmologist and avid italophile. Dr. Cooley sent Dr. Stoffolano a short novel by an Italian author named Rodari about a young boy, Tonino, who tries to become invisible so that he could avoid problems with his teacher. Rodari (1920-1980) was