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The world’s most famous mouse journalist, Geronimo Stilton, turns 25 this year. To mark the occasion, we’re looking back at the milestones in his extraordinary publishing success story and assessing the impact he’s had on children’s books and education.
Who is Geronimo Stilton?
Geronimo Stilton first appeared in Italian bookshops in 1997, when Elisabetta Dami’s The Mysterious Manuscript of Nostratopus was published by the author’s father. Three years later, specialist children’s publisher Piemme bought the rights and re-issued the book. And so began the opening chapter in a global success story, which saw the Geronimo Stilton series being translated into 52 languages and selling over 187 million copies worldwide.
Geronimo is a mouse who works as a reporter for The Rodent’s Gazette, the bestselling newspaper on Mouse Island, an island made of cheese where he lives with his family. An Rattus Emeritus of Mousomorphic Literature and of Neo-Ratonic Comparative Philosophy, Geronimo is a self-styled “mouse intellectual” who in his spare time collects rare cheese rinds from the 1700s and writes books about his adventures.
Author Elisabetta Dami publishes her books under the main character’s name. It’s a strategy designed to narrow the gap between narrator and reader and make the story more compelling and authentic in the eyes of children. She also has Geronimo Stilton narrate his tales in the first person so that young readers believe that it really is the mouse himself who writes the books.
But how was this much-loved character born?
While volunteering in a paediatric hospital, Elisabetta Dami hit upon the idea of writing light-hearted stories to entertain the young patients and give them hope while they were going through tough times. Her inspirations were the film Patch Adams and the true story of the doctor who invented clown therapy. The tales of this slightly wimpy but decidedly unselfish mouse use humour and levity to tackle universal themes like generosity, loyalty, cooperation and respect for the environment. Part mystery, part adventure, each story gives kids a clear message: by working with others and respecting what’s around us, we all have part to play in making the world a better place.
The cover to the Italian edition of The Phoenix of Destiny: An Epic Kingdom of Fantasy Adventure, published by Edizioni Piemme.
The secrets to success
The Geronimo Stilton books are organised into subseries, each with specific themes and settings, from Classic Tales, retellings of classics like the Iliad and The Betrothed, to Cavemice, set in the Stone Age, to spin-off series like Thea Sisters, which follows the shenanigans enjoyed by friends of Geronimo’s sister, Thea.
Fun, action-packed stories, simple language and an innovative format that skilfully blends text and illustration make Geronimo Stilton a favourite with kids (and their parents).
Carefully crafted words and pictures keep even novice readers turning the pages. Liberal use of onomatopoeia and diminutives, simple syntax and plenty of dialogue aid comprehension, while lots of illustrations and different fonts help kids to read independently. As for the main character, the bungling, easily scared Geronimo is an unlikely hero who, in the end, always plucks up the courage to face the challenge in front of him. Which is what makes him readily relatable to children. Throw humour and adventure into the mix and you’ve got a entertaining and compelling read.
Pages from inside from Un’assurda avventura spaziale (An Absurd Space Adventure), as yet unpublished in English. Published by Edizioni Piemme,.
Entertain to educate: what Geronimo Stilton teaches us
With its simple and engaging style, the Geronimo Stilton series has hooked millions of children on reading in an era when they’re glued to screens more than ever. It has also been adapted for other formats, from cartoons to plays, from educational games to videogames. And this multimedia presence has helped turn the roving rodent reporter into a cultural phenomenon with intergenerational and international appeal.
In the creator’s native Italy, Geronimo Stilton has featured in campaigns for things such as digital literacy and road safety through the work of the Fondazione Geronimo Stilton, a non-profit set up by Dami to promote cultural and educational initiatives for children. The character has even served as an ambassador for reading in Oman, where Dami has held workshops to introduce children to the joys of reading.
The workshop organised by the Royal Opera House Muscat for Omani school children. Credit: Khalid Al Busaidi.
In 2021, the mouse starred in A Thousand Wonders. A Journey to Discover Italy, an illustrated book produced by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian National Commission for UNESCO. Translated into major foreign languages and distributed by Italian embassies and cultural institutes overseas, the book gives young people around the world a taste of Italy’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
Twenty-five years after Dami first brought him to life on the page, Geronimo Stilton is still making kids think, laugh and dream, pulling them into the magical world of books. His adventures are a powerful vehicle for conveying basic ethical values to young readers, while also nurturing a love of reading and a desire to discover the world around them.