Tightrope Wanderer

Federica Ortolan is a Venetian author of illustrated books for children and adults. After studying Conservation of Cultural Heritage, she graduated in Primary Education Sciences, studying the cognitive processing of children in relation to creative stimuli. Alongside her writing, she promotes children's and adolescent literature, and organizes training courses for adults as well. Some of her books have won national awards and have been translated into other languages. Among her publications: The Trace (illustrated by Manuela Simoncelli, We Will Be Trees), The Filiambulante (illustrated by Marco Leoni, Sabir), In What a State! (illustrated by Roberto Irace, Sabir), Seedless (illustrated by Richolly Rosazza, Lavieri), The Chest of Drawers (Dad's) (illustrated by Ilaria Zanellato, Lavieri), For All the Rains! (illustrated by Elena Ceccato, Carthusia), The Travelling Window (illustrated by Deianira D'Antoni, Sabir), Bruno's Bicycle (illustrated by Beatrice Xompero, Tandem series , Il Castoro). She lives in the Veneto region of Italy.Marco Leoni is an Italian artist and illustrator. He moved to Florence to attend the Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in engraving and chalcography, which he did not complete to attend a private school of illustration and animation. Originally from the Marche region, he has been living in Bologna for a few years and alternates between freelance work as an illustrator for private clients and visual development for animated short films. He also opened “Naso di Bruco” with other colleagues, a small yellow coworking space under the porticoes in the center of Bologna, where he holds short courses and illustration workshops as a teacher. He has worked as an illustrator and set designer for stop motion short films, a narrator of role-playing games for children and young people, and he occasionally holds courses as a drawing teacher. The Tightrope Wanderer was his debut picture book, and since then he has worked with other publishers such as Disney and Kite. He lives in Bologna, Italy.

★ "A mysterious wanderer travels from town to town, plucking strands of his very long, very strong hair to tightrope across. As he starts to lose his hair, the Tightrope Wanderer questions what comes next. The patinaed palette of the detailed illustrations imbues the story with a timeless quality befitting the enduring wisdom of its lessons as the Tightrope Wanderer forges ahead on a path he might not have chosen, but that he is grateful to be walking all the same."—Foreword, Starred Review"An itinerant tightrope walker learns to accept change.Our tan-skinned hero goes from town to town, staying for just one day and walking across a single strand of his flowing hair stretched between rooftops. His balance comes from observing nature; he learned flexibility from the swaying branches of the birch tree, gracefulness from the squirrels, and patience from the flower buds. One day, the tightrope walker’s hair begins to fall out. Realizing that his days as a tightrope walker are now numbered, he continues performing, his joy tinged with wistfulness and an appreciation of his remaining time. Finally, he plucks his last hair, puts on his last show, and walks away. Though it’s unclear what his next airborne adventure will be, we see him being launched from a circus cannon, clad in an aviator’s hat and goggles. Ortolan’s allegorical story moves slowly, with the major plot point—the performer’s hair loss—not introduced until halfway through the book. Lyrical language and quiet reflections on nature and fate are what power this tale. Nods to Jewish wisdom and themes are woven throughout, including the tightrope walker wandering for 40 years, as well as references to well-known rabbinic phrases. Backmatter explains that the single-hair tightrope embodies Rabbi Nachman’s famous wisdom that 'the whole entire world is a very narrow bridge. The secret is not to be afraid.' Leoni’s sepia-tinted illustrations reinforce the vintage, dreamlike feel.Quiet and quirky."—Kirkus Reviews"This poetic picture book follows a man who travels the world as a tightrope walker, balancing on a single strand of his own hair as a tightrope. He dresses deliberately in a wind-colored jacket, sky-hued trousers, and light socks, because “he must look like air to be air,” with a red bandana “like a dot of fire against the sky.” When his hair begins to fall out, the wanderer continues walking, aware that each crossing may be his last. Rather than despair, he reflects with gratitude that “it has been wonderful to touch the sky.” When his final strand is used, he does not lose hope but instead seeks another way to remain in the air. Philosophical reflections woven throughout offer gentle meditations on courage, loss, and resilience. Leoni’s stunning, intricate pencil drawings rendered in muted tones of beige and soft color, evoke an Old-World atmosphere. Tall, antique buildings reminiscent of the 1800s complement the timeless clothing and objects within the story. Back matter explores tightrope-walking traditions from around the world and explains that the wanderer’s thoughts draw from ancient wisdom from rabbis. Reflective questions invite readers to consider what they love to do and how they might respond if that path were no longer available. The book’s pensive sensibility will require some adult intervention and one-on-one discussion with young readers. VERDICT Quietly profound and visually arresting, this is destined to become an intergenerational selection suited to most shelves."—School Library Journal