Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Italian writer Carlo Collodi, published in 1883. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto as a wooden puppet but he dreams of becoming a real boy. He is notably characterized for his frequent tendency to lie, which causes his nose to grow.

Pinocchio is a cultural icon. He is one of the most re-imagined characters in children's literature. His story has been adapted into many other media, notably the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio.

Collodi often used the Italian Tuscan dialect in his book. For example, the name of Pinocchio’s father, Gepetto, comes from the diminutive for Geppo, the Tuscan pronunciation of ceppo, meaning a log, stump or block.