Giovanni Colaneri (born in 1991 in Isernia, Italy) is an illustrator and author based in Naples. He studied Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and later specialised in Illustration at ISIA Urbino.
His debut picture book, What Is a Syndrome?, originated as his graduation project and was later published by uovonero. The book received immediate international recognition, including selection for the White Ravens 2020 catalogue, and marked the beginning of a distinctive artistic career focused on themes of diversity and inclusion.
Colaneri’s work has been widely exhibited, with selections for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (2016 and again in subsequent years up to 2024) as well as international showcases such as the China Children’s Book Fair in Shanghai.
He collaborates with Italian and international publishers and magazines, and has published several picture books, including La serra (winner of the Premio Soligatto 2022) and other acclaimed titles. His illustration practice combines experimentation with traditional techniques, drawing inspiration from everyday life, art history, and visual culture.
In 2025 he was appointed Italian Children’s Laureate (2025–2027), confirming his growing role in the contemporary children’s publishing landscape.
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Where Are You, Little Giulio?
An emotional story about little Giulio, a sister who understands him, and a mother who truly sees him. Internationally acclaimed illustrator Giovanni Colaneri returns to explore the theme of diversity in a picture book that is both profound and immediate. Where has little Giulio gone?Is he really here?Is he hiding?Has he lost his way in a forest? Wherever he may…
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What Is a Syndrome?
A visually striking and thought-provoking journey, revealing a complex, shared human experience of difference, struggle, and inclusion. What is a Syndrome? A microcosm? A crisis? Something random? A fight? An attack? A common history? What else? Whatever it is, it’s something that concerns all of us. This picture book doesn’t give an answer but provides some interesting food for thought…
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A journey through a surreal and paradisiacal garden to the rhythm of Jazz rhapsody. A dialogue between vision, sound, and movement which immerse the readers in a symphony of images and words. Every element of the garden – from blackbirds to windswept bamboos to parrots – is intertwined with music and time, creating a poetic dance between nature and perception.
