Being Ugo – Giulia Pastorino and Sergio Olivotti
Being Ugo by Giulia Pastorino and Sergio Olivotti / ISBN 9791254931028 / English-language edition published by Corraini Editions in Italy (who make all the Munari picture books and much else) / 40-page hardback, 7.6 x 9.75 inches
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It happened like this. One morning Ugo woke up and… He was no longer Ugo. Or at least… He was no longer the same Ugo as before.
Growing up means changing day by day, and little Hugh is finding that out on his own skin! One day he wakes up SQUIGGLY, another day DOTTY, and yet another day he wakes up all DASHED UP; and each change affects his mood and behavior at school and with friends.
But Ugo is still Ugo, even if he feels a little different every morning-and after all, what’s the point of being all the same all the time? A book about change, about accepting transformation and growth, about the shaky concept of “normality.”
Until the last pages, adults are never seen in full, but only up to the waist.
A contrivance that gives us a surprise in the story’s ending, and tells us that growing up also means discovering the complexity and fallibility of one’s parents.
