Mud Angels

When a devastating flood swept through Florence, Italy, in November 1966, a young artist named Roberto Innocenti was there to witness it—and the muddy destruction it wrought on the city’s residents and precious works of art. He also experienced the miraculous response of helpers who arrived from around the world to assist the famed city in its recovery. These people became known as the Angeli del Fango, or “mud angels.” Author Beth Kephart captures Roberto’s memories in the voice of a fictionalized child, while the illustrator paints each vivid scene in his signature style.Beth Kephart, the award-winning author of more than three dozen books of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, is an adjunct teacher of creative nonfiction and fiction at the University of Pennsylvania and cofounder of Juncture Workshops, which delivers memoir workshops and resources to writers from around the world.Celebrated animator, designer, and illustrator Roberto Innocenti has won awards from the Mildred L. Batchelder and Hans Christian Andersen to the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize of 1985 and the Bratislava BIB Golden Apple. He has captured young imaginations with his interpretations of classic tales such as The Adventures of Pinocchio, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, and Nutcracker and has illustrated such original stories as The Last Resort (J. Patrick Lewis), Erika’s Story (Ruth Vander Zee), and Seymour Reit’s “All Kinds of” series. He continues to live and work in Florence.