FIRST, THERE WAS CHICO...
NOW, MEET MAX THE SPARROW
[He's really a Domspatz, but
from Rome, not Regensburg]
One of my 'back' items. It's a new children's book from JEANNE PEREGO,
who gave us JOSEPH AND CHICO, and it's coming out in time for Papino's
82nd birthday.
MAX AND BENEDICT:
A solitary sparrow narrates
the Pope's day
by Jeanne Perego
Illustrated by Donata Dal Molin Casagrande
Preface by Mons. Damiano Marzotto, CDF
56 pp, € 12,00
Order through
www.edizionimessaggero.it/ita/catalogo/scheda.asp?ISBN=978-88-25...
When people pass through St. Peter's Square, they generally look up above the right arm of Bernini's colonnade, to the two lighted corner windows of the Apostolic Palace, usually lit until late at night.
And they would say, "The Pope lives there. He is still at work". But what work does the Pope do?
From the Preface by Fr, Marzotto:
After the great success of
JOSEPH AND CHICO: A cat narrates the life of Pope Benedict XVI, writer Jeanne Perego has written a new book to be released on April 16, the Pope's 82nd birthday, in which she tells children what the Pope does.
Or rather, through the eyes of a tiny sparrow who presents himself thus: "I am Max, I am a lone sparrow, a little blue bird who loves to live where it is not too cold."
Max chose his name because he lives in one of the front eaves of St. Peter's Basilica, on the facade of which is written PONT. MAX. [for Pontifex Maximus, Supreme Pontiff].
"Max is a strong name, it sounds fast! Like a well-set pair of wings."
From his privileged perch Max does not need to go far to watch Joseph Ratzinger - a pleasure he has indulged in since before he became Pope.
Now that he is Pope, Max watches him start his day at dawn. Then he sees him at his desk, where, reading reports and files, "he looks at the life of the Catholic Church in very part of the world".
It's a refreshing story in which some of the basic points of Pope Benedict's thinking are also told, rich in details one can describe to smaller children of the Pope's long and demanding work day, through the curious and chatty point of view of this church sparrow [a 'Domspatz'!].
"The sparrow is a genuine Roman bird," writes Fulvio Fraticelli of the Rome Biopark in his 'post-face'. "A species that has chosen the old walls of Rome and Vatican city state for its habitat. From the rooftops, it has looked down on the excesses of imperial Rome, the barbarian invasions, the famines and pestilence, war and peace, as well as events like the construction of St. Peter's Basilica."
Jeanne Perego, a journalist who lives in northern Bavaria where it is nearest to Italy, follows up the success of JOSEPH AND CHICO - which has sold hundreds of thousands in 14 countries - with a convenient account of the Pope's working day, recording the testimony of people who know, combined with 'onsite' verification by herself.
The illustrations are by Donata Dal Molin Casagrande, a veteran illustration of children's books, who also illustrated JOSEPH & CHICO.
NB: The phrase 'passero solitario' is associated in Italy with the title of a famous poem by one of the great Italian poets,
Giacomo Leopardi, although tHe usual translation is 'the lonely sparrow'.
Thanks to Lella's blog and one of her followers,
for this interview with Jeanne Perego:
Max flies with the Pope:
A book from a former Como resident
by Barbara Faverio
Translated from
April 9, 2009
"Wait, let me transfer to a corner of the house where we can't hear the dogs or the waterfall".
Jeanne Perego's love for nature and animals is her calling card. From her house in Bavaria ('at the edge of a nature reserve'), the writer who lived for years in these parts - she attended the Volta lyceum in Como - speaks to us on the phone about her new book, primarily for children, dedicated to Joseph Ratzinger.
The first two were
JOSEPH & CHICO: A cat recounts the life of Pope Benedict XVI, and bnfore that,
THE BAVARIA OF JOSEPH RATZINGER (a travelogue).
The new book,
MAX AND BENDETICT: A solitary sparrow narrates the Pope's day, reprises the successful formula of JOSEPH AND CHICO. This time, the task of telling readers about the Pope's working day is entrusted to a tiny sparrow who inhabits one of the eaves of St. Peter's Basilica.
Madame Perego, why another book on Ratzinger?
I find the Pope fascinating, and so I wanted to continue telling his story. But I didn't have a plan for this second book. It was born by chance on November 14, 2007, when I brought a copy of the first book to present to Benedict XVI after a General Audience at St. Peter's.
It was cold, and it was raining - and I was thinking that my father was the same age as the Pope, and what it would be like for someone like him to be in thet middle of that iimmense crowd, under the rain, in the cold.
I thought to myself - how tiring it must be to be the Pope - and I mean physically tiring, not just mentally. How many children appreciate what it means to be a Pope, the tasks he must do every day....
And why the choice to continue narrating about the Pope through animals...
I adore animals and nature. As a believer, I think they are wonderful gifts from God. Yesterday, I spent at least half an hour just watching a hair caterpillar crawling....
That day, at St. Peter's Square, I saw two beautiful gulls flying just above the head of Benedict XVI, and I thought - there they are, they can see everything the Pope does. And that was how I thought of having a bird narrate the Pope's working day - which, as I explain in the book, is every day for him, because even when he is on vacation, he works...
Is Max pure invention, or does he exist as Chico does?
I wanted my book to be scientifically correct, precisely because I love nature. I researched and found two ornithologists, Giacomo Dell'Omo, a specialist in kestrels, and Fulvio Fraticelli, director of Rome's Biopark, with whom I had an electric meeting - he can transform your life, really, because after talking to him, you will no longer walk looking ahead but upwards!
Together we watched all the birds in the Vatican Gardens, and we eventually settled on the lonely sparrow, which notwithstanding its common name, is really a thrush, a bird typical of warm Mediterranean areas, which loves to be by itself. It has a wonderful birdsong, and it is impossible not to stop and listen.
I liked the similirity with this Pope who really knows how to make himself be heard.
Has the Pope read your book? Did you meet him before you wrote it?
No... But i am very shy, and all the times I have met him face to face, I have been so caught up in emotion. I had asked Mons, Gaenswein to give him a copy of the first book. I don't know if the Pope read it, but Fr. Georg wrote me that "It will please him very much".
Mons. Georg wrote the introduction to JOSEPH & CHICO. Who is introducing the Max book?
That would be Fr. Damiano Marzotto, a head of office at the Congregation for teh Dotrine of the Faith. He worked for almsot 25 years elbow to elbow with Cardinal Ratzinger, and he is very familiar with how he works.
But there is also a 'post-face' by Fraticelli, who certifies to the scientific correctness of what I write about the bird.
How have you gone about documenting the Pope's activities?
Compared to the first bok, this time it was more complicated. Anyone can write a factual biogrpahy if one can gather all the basic data. But in this case, there are very few accounts.
So in order to picture a composite day in the Pope's life, I looked through all the printed acts of the Holy See as well as the archive of CTV. I saw so much raw footage of the Pope's daily activities and his vacations that I was able to reconstruct his 'typical' days.
What does this book add to the previous one?
It brings it up to date. The first book told the story of Joseph Ratzinger's life up to the time he was elected Pope. This one tells what he does as Pope. I have also worked in some of his basic thoughts and teachings.
Besides, I confront an issue that I feel strongly about: the continuous comparison of Benedict XVI with John Paul II. Max explains things in his own way:
"When visitors climb up to the dome", he says, "I always hear people making these comparisons, which is stupid, because it's about two persons who are as different as they are extraordinary. It's like comparing me to a grey heron - I cannot fly as high and glide elegantly through the air as a grey heron does, but when I sing, people stop and listen to me."
And your next book - will it be about Papa Ratzinger again?
I am working on a small book of civil satire for children, like a snapshot of our society today. As for the Pope, I don't know. Right now, I have nothing in mind.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/04/2009 00:47]