Early bird

This is the story of a chick whose egg hatches too soon. Mother and Father Duck, who share the brooding, are worried. They keep the little one warm until the other eggs open. Primo (First) is smaller than the others; he trips and falls. Yet, when he faces an obstacle, he does not give up: he flaps his wings hard to overcome it and, in the end, he succeeds.

Awards: 

⭐Winner of the 2020 Nati per leggere Prize (Category: 6-18 months)

Author & Illustrator

Attilio Cassinelli is an internationally acclaimed painter, designer, and illustrator whose work has shaped the landscape of Italian children’s literature for decades. His extraordinary career was crowned by a Special Jury Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, a testament to his global influence. Other prestigious honours include the Andersen Special Jury Award (2017) and the Nati per Leggere Award (2017 with Little Red Riding Hood and 2020 with Primo).

In 2021, the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome dedicated a monographic exhibition to him: Evergreen. The Story of Attilio.

This marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time this prestigious institution opened its doors to the language of illustration, showcasing over eighty original works, studies, and models. His international impact was further recognised in 2022, when El País, Spain’s leading newspaper, dedicated a major feature to him for his 99th birthday.

Attilio passed away in June 2024 at the age of one hundred, leaving behind a limitless legacy. His work continues to be celebrated today: in 2026, the exhibition Attilio – Il castello dei bambini honours the genius of an artist who made simplicity an immortal art form.

His books are not just stories, but masterful exercises in visual synthesis, created to foster a child’s first encounter with art and narrative. His work is an enduring dialogue between geometry and emotion, designed to speak directly to the youngest readers.