Petipò Illustration by Fabio Ruotolo

Every so often a piece of art takes your breath and won't give it back. This little illustration by Fabio Ruotolo did that to me! I opened the book, saw this, and just froze—heart first, then the rest of me caught up.

A bit of context: I recently received a copy of Petipò, the book from which I previously shared a page, and this illustration was waiting inside it, completely unexpected. A total surprise, a most magnificent gift.

It's a universe in a handful of inches, lively earth tones against a cool sky, textures you can feel just by looking at them [which seem to be a specialty of his], tiny animated details that guide the eyes like fireflies. And at the centre, a wooden bust with a Pinocchio‑ish face, the playful grin and that look in the eyes—mischief and innocence at once. The frog, the shrooms, the curling snake, the salamander, the snail, and the tiny blue bug… it's all so full of life. I can't stop returning to it, I can't stop staring at it…