"Changing the Narrative and Finding the Gold": A Conversation with Dr Tamara Pizzoli
photo by James Maiki Children deserve the best art, because they understand and appreciate it the most. Tamara Pizzoli Last week, I had a joyful conversation with Dr Tamara Pizzoli , founder of The English School House , and author of a number of stunning books for children, including T he Ghanaian Goldilocks , winner of the silver eLit award for digital excellence in multicultural publishing. From Texas but based in Rome, Tamara is a long-time educator and mother of four. To create her fairy tales, which flip and challenge our expectations of both race and gender ( The Ghanaian Goldilocks is set in Ghana and is about a little boy called Kofi, whose hair has been turned golden by the sun), Tamara works with world-renowned artists, including Italian master painter Elena Tomassi Ferroni . Their working collaboration has resulted in books which are both stories for children and works of art. These include O f Gods and Goddesses: Deities of Ancient Rome , which