#3 il Barbaro

by Renato Moriconi

With Bologna 2025 fast approaching, I thought I would pull a book off the shelf that was bought from, I think my first trip to the fair. Its a wordless book by Renato Moriconi…

I will be honest that this book nearly passed me by, but it was Illustrator Steven Lenton who recommended it to me. il Barbaro [The Little Barbarian, if you have the American copy], is a feat of imagination and use of form. It is a wordless book, that is full of wonder as well as being play full.

It is one of those books that at first sets you off on one journey, only for it to have a magnificent twist at the end. The book its self is tall and slender, with the story making full advantage of the use of page…

… Our barbarian, along with his trusty steed is on a mission; from a pit of snakes, one eyed giants and poisonous plants, jumping from one thing to the next. But these feats don’t seem to bother our little barbarian - its all taken in their stride. Up and down they go…

I love a wordless book, as a reader its up to you to work out what is happening, to find how the story works. I think this one allows us a fun journey, with a perfect ending that I didn’t see coming. Where is the Barbarian actually going? What is the end point? Well I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you want to know read on….

Isn’t it a delight? My copy is Italian and published by Gallucci, but it is available in the USA through Eerdmans Books.

Happy reading!