In Polignano a Mare, a town better known for its cliffs and sea caves, a quieter kind of magic happens inside the community library. The presentation of Penny e Palmy – Due foglie per la vita by Giovanni Abbaticchio invites parents and children to sit down together and discover a story about two leaves.
Two leaves, one big story
Every good children's book starts with a small, simple idea. Here it is a pair of leaves, Penny and Palmy, whose journey is told through the title's gentle promise: two leaves for life.
The author presents his book in person. That means you can hear where the characters came from and why they were born, straight from the person who imagined them.
When reading becomes a performance
This is not a classic talk with a row of silent chairs. The afternoon includes an animated reading, where voices, gestures and pauses bring the pages to life.
Children are pulled into the story rather than simply listening to it. Even the shyest ones tend to lean forward when a leaf starts to speak.
Hands-on creativity for little and big hands
After the reading, the event moves from listening to making. A creative workshop for parents and children turns the themes of the book into something you can touch and take home.
- Sit side by side with your child and create together
- Let the story guide your choices of colours and shapes
- Ask the author questions while your hands are busy
- Leave with something made by you, not just something bought
A library that feels like a living room
The Biblioteca di Comunità is named after Raffaele Chiantera and has the feel of a shared space rather than a silent archive. It is a gentle setting for families, with room to move, chat and be a little noisy.
Free events like this one show how a community library can become a meeting point for the whole town, not only for readers.
Make an afternoon of it
Polignano a Mare rewards slow wandering, so plan to stay after the workshop. The old town's whitewashed lanes and the clifftop terraces over the Adriatic are easy to reach on foot.
A gelato or a stroll along the sea with the kids is the natural epilogue to a story-led afternoon. Check the event's official announcement for the latest date and time before you go.