Italian stories.
At your own pace.

Il piccolo caffè

The Little Café

Nina arrives in Bassano del Grappa planning to sell her grandmother’s café. Meet the place and people who might change her mind.

Bimbo asino

Donkey Child

It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.

Decisioni

Decision

My village had many problems. We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.

Il giorno che lasciai casa per la città

The day I left home for the city

The small bus stop in my village was busy with people and overloaded buses. On the ground were even more things to load. Touts were shouting the names where their…

Khalai parla alle piante

Khalai talks to plants

This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.

La canzone di Sakima

Sakima’s song

Sakima lived with his parents and his four year old sister. They lived on a rich man’s land. Their grass-thatched hut was at the end of a row of trees.

Magozwe

In the busy city of Nairobi, far away from a caring life at home, lived a group of homeless boys. They welcomed each day just as it came. On one morning, the boys…

Tom il venditore di banane

Tom the banana seller

Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.

Vacanze con la nonna

Holidays with grandmother

Odongo and Apiyo lived in the city with their father. They looked forward to the holidays. Not just because school was closed, but because they went to visit their…

Un uomo molto alto

A very tall man

An unusually tall man has an everyday problem: everything is too small. Try the opening of this illustrated story.

Capra, Cane e Mucca

Goat, Dog, and Cow

Goat, Dog, and Cow were great friends. One day they went on a journey in a taxi.

Anansi e la saggezza

Anansi and Wisdom

Long long ago people didn’t know anything. They didn’t know how to plant crops, or how to weave cloth, or how to make iron tools. The god Nyame up in the sky had all…

Che cosa stai facendo?

What are you doing?

I am singing.

Simbegwire

When Simbegwire’s mother died, she was very sad. Simbegwire’s father did his best to take care of his daughter. Slowly, they learned to feel happy again, without…

Nozibele e i tre capelli

Nozibele and the three hairs

A long time ago, three girls went out to collect wood.

La vendetta dell’uccello del miele

The Honeyguide’s revenge

This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile. One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth…

Mi piace leggere!

I like to read!

Begin with a single, simple idea: I like to read. A brief illustrated-story excerpt for your first Italian words.

Zama è grande!

Zama is great!

My little brother sleeps very late. I wake early, because I am great!

Un piccolo seme: la storia di Wangari Maathai

A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai

In a village on the slopes of Mount Kenya in East Africa, a little girl worked in the fields with her mother. Her name was Wangari.

Perché gli ippopotami non hanno il pelo

Why hippos have no hair

One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.

Pollo e Millepiedi

Chicken and Millipede

Chicken and Millipede were friends. But they were always competing with each other. One day they decided to play football to see who the best player was.

Il coccodrillo affamato

The hungry crocodile

Once there was a very hungry crocodile.

Gallina e Aquila

Hen and Eagle

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.

Tingi e le mucche

Tingi and the cows

Tingi lived with his grandmother.

Cosa disse la sorella di Vusi

What Vusi’s sister said

Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding.”

Le banane della nonna

Grandma’s bananas

Grandma’s garden was wonderful, full of sorghum, millet, and cassava. But best of all were the bananas. Although Grandma had many grandchildren, I secretly knew that…

Fuoco

Fire

Look, fire!

Contando gli animali

Counting animals

One elephant is going to drink water.

Bambini di cera

Children of wax

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.

Punizione

Punishment

One day, mama got a lot of fruit.

Voglio quello!

I Want That One!

It was a holiday for Amma. She was reading a book. Anil had a holiday too. He wanted to do.... SOMETHING! “Amma, I want to see what is in that blue box!” said Anil.…

Chi è il nostro amico?

Who Is Our Friend?

Can you guess who our best friend is? He’s not like us at all.

Abbracci in città

Hugs in the City

My name is Jilly. Today, I hugged most of the cats in town!

I tre gattini

The Three Little Kittens

One day three little kittens meet a big dog.

L'uomo e il dinosauro

The man and the dinosaur

Once there lived an old man named Bheemanna, in a very hot & dry place called Tharpur. One day he was on his to his Daughter's home. On the way he was singing a song.…

I felini selvatici

Wild Cat! Wild Cat!

Some wild cats have stripes. Like the tiger !

Il mio giardino

My Garden

My garden has lots of beautiful flowers. It is always full of butterflies. They love the flowers.

Chi è più veloce?

Who is Faster?

Do you know which animal is the slowest in the world?

Voglio tanto bene alla mia mamma!

I Love My Mom

My mom’s name is Lee. She works hard all the time. And I learn so much from her!

Una torta grande

One Big Cake

Dom Dom has one big cake.

Tu! Sì, Tu!

You! Yes You!

Hi! I’m a warrior and I’m fighting a monster, and I need you to help me. Yes, you! Come with me!

Perso e ritrovato

Lost and Found

Not here, not there. Where have you gone?

Il gatto pulito

Clean Cat

This is my house. Ma, Pa and Cheena also live here.

Mostro Del Cibo

Food Monster

Roti is a circle.

Posso aiutare!

I Can Help!

I am a big girl. I can help other people.

'Questo pesce e' mio!' 'No... e' mio! '

My fish! No, my fish!

Kicchu woke up early one morning. “It is time to catch some fish,” he said yawning.

Il Piccolo Calzino

Little Sock and the Tiny Creatures

It’s wash day for the Socks.

Case

Houses

Mzi lives in a thatched house.

Corvi rumorosi

Noisy Crows

I live in the mango tree. I eat lots of ripe fruit in summer.

La Mia Famiglia

My Family

Hello! My name is Marco. I am 7 years old. I have one brother, named Joseph. Joseph is 3 years old.

Com'è fatto il mio corpo?

Parts of the body

Our Body has different parts that have their own function.

Sapere e non sapere

Can and Can't

I can’t knit, cats can’t write, fish can’t blink...

L'impermeabile rosso

The Red Raincoat

On Sunday, Manu’s parents got him a red raincoat. “Ma, may I wear it now?” asked Manu. “No, my dear, the rains are near, but just now the sky is clear,” said Ma.

I piccoli pittori

Little Painters

It was holiday time. Veena and Vinay were in the garden. There were tins of paint everywhere.