Nicoletta Costa facts for kids

Nicoletta Costa (born in 1953) is a famous Italian writer, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her amazing children's books.

Nicoletta Costa created popular characters like Olga the Cloud and Julian Rabbit. Her drawings are special because they use "clear shapes and bright colors." She has won many awards, including three Andersen Prizes [it]. Her books have been translated into many languages, like English, Spanish, and Japanese.

An animated TV show based on her character Julian Rabbit started in 2017 on Rai YoYo. Nicoletta Costa is one of the most published children's authors in Italy. Her characters, Olga the Cloud and Julian Rabbit, are super popular with Italian kids. They are as loved as Pimpa and Peppa Pig. Olga the Cloud has been a big success all over the world since the 1980s. This includes places like China, Russia, Spain, and the United States. Another TV show by Costa is being made right now. Nina & Olga, which is about Olga the Cloud, was planned to start on RAI in spring 2021.

About Nicoletta Costa

Nicoletta Costa was born in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, in 1953. She loved drawing from a very young age. When she was just twelve, she illustrated her first book. It was called Il pesciolino piccolo (The Little Fish). This book was first published in Trieste.

Her Education and Career Start

Nicoletta studied architecture at the University of Venice. She got her degree in 1978. After graduating, she worked in her father's office. She liked the job, but soon found her true passion. She realized she loved writing and illustrating children's books the most. So, after publishing some books, she decided to follow her dream.

Costa began her career as an illustrator two years after finishing university. She has now written and illustrated hundreds of children's books.

Collaborations and Projects

Nicoletta Costa has also worked with different companies. She helped create stationery, toys, and clothes. She teamed up with UNICEF to illustrate Christmas cards. She also designed baby clothes for Benetton. Costa has worked with the Italian supermarket chain Coop. Her characters, especially Olga the Cloud, appeared on Coop's baby products.

A TV show based on her character Julian Rabbit started on Rai YoYo in 2017. Julian Rabbit was already well-known to Italian children. After the TV show came out, he became a "children's favorite." Julian Rabbit appears in Costa's books, like Julian Rabbit and the Chicks. He is also the main character of a play written by Costa. The play started in 2010 and was very popular. It returned to Italian theaters the next year.

Nicoletta Costa still lives and works in her hometown of Trieste.

Nicoletta Costa's Works

Nicoletta Costa's drawing style is easy to spot. It has "smooth lines, black outlines, bright colors, and happy characters." She has created over 400 books.

Her Famous Characters

Her most famous characters include:

• Olga the Cloud (La nuvola Olga)
• Blue Bear (Orso Blu)
• Catherine the Goose (L'oca Caterina)
• Theodora the Witch (La strega Teodora)
• John the Tree (L'albero Giovanni)
• Margaret the Teacher (La maestra Margherita)
• Cats (I gatti)
• Mr Kite (Il signor Aquilone)
• Julian Rabbit (Giulio Coniglio)

Olga the Cloud appeared in Costa's drawings when she was still at university. Olga is a cloud who lets go of rain she can't hold anymore.

Julian Rabbit is the main character of the TV show on Rai YoYo. He is described as a bit of an "antihero." He is shy and sometimes clumsy. But he loves to be with his friends. He is "scared of water and darkness, and is very shy." Yet, he is also good at making friends. He has a group of friends around him. This group is like any bunch of kids. There's the clumsy one, the bossy one, and the know-it-all. Each friend has a special personality. Kids can easily relate to them.

Nicoletta Costa said that Julian Rabbit's stories teach kids an important lesson. They show that "you get things done only with the help of friends." Julian Rabbit's adventures started in books. Then they became a play. And later, they became a TV show. In 2014, a magazine about Julian Rabbit reached its 100th issue. In 2018, Julian Rabbit's stories were published in 25 coloring books. These came with stickers and were sold with the newspaper Repubblica.

New TV Series and Educational Books

After Julian Rabbit, another TV show based on Costa's characters is being made. It's called Nina & Olga. This show is about Olga the Cloud. It was planned to be released in spring 2021 on RAI.

Costa has also created books that teach the alphabet. She uses her unique style for these books. Italian teachers really like these alphabet books. Costa's books are often used in Italy to help kids learn to read. They have also been used for this purpose in other countries. For example, in the United States, in the Chicago's Italo-American community.

Awards and Recognition

Nicoletta Costa has won several awards for her work. These include the Andersen Prize in 1989, 1994, and 2010.

Here are some of her awards:

See also

In Spanish: Nicoletta Costa para niños