Fantasy

One of the most elusive characteristics of what I've seen in Reggio Emilia is the relationship between fantasy and reality in the daily doings there. In a new book from Teachers & Writers Collaborative (5 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003-3306) we have the theoretical basis for this easy movement between fantasy and fact. Called The Grammar of Fantasy , written in beautiful, accessible and poeticlanguage, translated seamlessly by Jack Zipes, a teacher who wants to learn how to help children make stories has here all the tools she or he needs.

Playing with language is something that comes easily to some of us. It feels like a gift, like perfect pitch. But Gianni Rodari shows us how to invitae others into the games we play with language. He tried this out at Diana School in Reggio Emiliaand gave a series of lectures there in 1972. This book tells us some of the stories he made up, but far more important shows us the process of making up stories, by oneself, in a group, and giving the tools to the children so they can do it also. Their stories are quite perfect, and, like children's drawing and painting, have a quality which charms both adults and children in the audience.Schools have traditionally relegated imagination to a very small place, valuing memory and attention much more highly. This book leads us into imagination. It shows us, as have Sylvia Ashton-Warner and Vivian Gussin Paley, how we can help children use their images — pictures in their minds which have importance and meaning to them — and make wonderful creations from them.

So Rodari talks about "TheFantastic Binomial" that is, the ability of the mind, given two words that normally are not related, say, streetcar and refrigerator, to make a connection, a story, that is satisfying. Children can do this too, as is illustrated in the book with stories about "light and shoes" and "dog and closet". What would the children in your class do, if presented with such word-pairs?

And he talks abouthypotheses: What if a lion walked into the police station? And "fairytale salad" What if Cinderella bumped into Tom Thumb on the way to meeting the wolf, what then?

In a chapter called "Recasting Fairy Tales" the Cinderella story is analyzed (Cinderella (A) lives in the house of her father (B) and stands in a relationship to B, different from the relationship that her stepsisters (C and D) havewith B. While B, C, and D go to the palace, (E) where there is some kind of event the ball (F), A remains alone. However, thanks to the intervention of G, A, too, is able to go to E and makes an extraordinary impression on the prince (H). Etc.

Then Rodari shows us how to move further and further from the original cast. We use the structure of the Cinderella story, changing the characters andthe place but keeping the SHAPE of the story, weaving it until Carlo (who replaces Cinderella as A), the Count's stable boy, with the help of the cabin boy,( who replaces the fairy godmother) stows away on the yacht (replacing the Ball, E) taking the Count (who replaces Cinderella's father B) and his children (C and D) on a the vacation trip (F). The yacht is shipwrecked and Carlo gives a cigarettelighter to the island's medicine man (H) and as a result is celebrated as the god of fire.

In another section of this rich book Rodari introduces us to Propp's cards:

A German named Propp analyzed the themes of fairy tales into their elements. Cards were made for the children, to help them construct stories. I found even the translated titles of these cards difficult, and have rewrittenthem in terms I think could be illustrated for English- speaking children:

1. Someone goes away from home.
2. A rule is given to that person.
3. The rule is broken.
4. The villain tries to find out what's going on.
5. The villain receives information about his victim.
6. The villain attempts to deceive his victim.
7. The victim gets fooled and so (unwittingly) helps his enemy.
. . . Etc....