Danilo the Fruit Man

Inspired by the "colors and textures" of Sicily, Amy Valens made up this folk tale on the plane flight back home. Valens' Stylish illustrations are the highlight here; the bright patterns framing each drawing look like old painted clay tiles. She mixes unusual, festive shades of blues, greens, orange, purple, and other colors for a "Mediterranean" look. The story concerns Danilo, a Sicilian fruit peddler. On the way home, he accidentally discovers a hidden park with trees bearing magical purple, pink, and blue fruits. In a somewhat abrupt transition, Danilo meets a mysterious man who shares the delicious fruit with him. But the man also has a parable in the form of a poem, which warns Danilo that he must give the fruit away, without thought of profit or planting a new crop. Used to his commercial ways, Danilo somehow doesn't get the message, and when he tries to sell the magical fruit, it turns into rocks. Months later, when he no longer needs the magical fruit or even thinks about selling it, he is inclined to just give the remaining ones away. In another surprisingly abrupt transition, a magical tree appears. Now, when he no longer needs the fruit in a moneymaking sense, he can find them. The plot is a bit contrived, and sometimes characters and "surprise" elements seem somewhat pasted into the story, rather than developing naturally out of it. Still, in the tradition of many folk stories, the book has a lilting tone, and it concludes with an especially gentle moral about sharing freely. The vivid, Sicily-inspired decorative motifs, and the insertion of Italian words add to its simple appeal.