Bugs in a blanket

Comment:

This book, written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna, deals in a simple and funny way with the themes of diversity and the acceptance of it. The first encounter of the little fleas becomes an opportunity to reflect on diversity and tolerance: finding themselves apparently so different from each other, the fleas begin to ask the same question (why are the others so different from me?), until they reach the conclusion that “in the country of little fleas, as in all countries of the world, you can’t choose: you are born as you are born, each one different from the other.” Thus, they understand that the beauty of each of them lies precisely in their differences, and the recognition and acceptance of the diversity, the authenticity, and the uniqueness of each and every flea become the starting point to overcome distrust and to build friendship. Or just to have fun all together: we cannot choose how to be, we are all different, but we can all live together. Avoiding didactic tones, Alemagna uses a simple language which plays on the reiteration of questions, and which emphasizes how, through acceptance, diversity becomes a source of enrichment and not a cause of isolation. Also, the technique used for the illustrations is particularly original. In fact, the images are created through a collage of fabrics and inserts of different materials. These cheerful and colourful collages of wool, felt, thread, and other fabrics are reproduced on the pages of the book through photos which succeed in recreating the setting of the story. After the success of this book, the author added two more episodes: Le Pulcette in giardino (Bugs in the garden), and La vicina delle Pulcette (The bug next door).