Narrative
Isprăvile lui Guguță
Spiridon Vangheli · 1967
Synopsis
The adventures of Guguță, a little boy from the village of Trei-Iezi, whose father gives him a big lambswool hat that never leaves him. When winter descends on the village, Guguță invites his classmates, then the whole village, to squeeze under his hat to escape the cold; and the more people come in, the bigger the hat grows, just as the generosity of the one who shares it grows.
Context
The book appeared in 1967, illustrated by Alexandru Hmelnițki, and made its author famous; it was translated into Russian as early as 1968, then into dozens of languages. Guguță returns in Guguță căpitan de corabie (1979) and Guguță și prietenii săi (1994), and has inspired Moldova-Film cartoons, a puppet theatre and even a Romanian coin. The name of his village pays discreet homage to Ion Creangă.
Who it is for
For children and those who once were, a fable of generosity from the villages of Moldova.
Prizes and reception
The book won the Union's prize for the best children's book in 1971; the Moldovan Parliament declared 2013 the Year of Spiridon Vangheli.