Markvoldo, or The Seasons in the City

The Italian laborer Markvoldo lives in a big city, crammed into a small apartment with his grumpy wife and a bunch of kids. He grew up in the countryside and loves nature, so he constantly looks for signs of life everywhere, carefully observing flowers and trees, rains and animals. Moreover, Markvoldo tries to live in the city as he lived in the village - but this is impossible, and he invariably gets into trouble.

Due to the summer heat, Markvoldo decides to sleep outdoors, but all night he is disturbed by city noises and lights. Or he takes the children fishing, carefully choosing a spot with the cleanest water, only to find out that there was an accident at the paint factory upstream. Or he eagerly waits for mushrooms to ripen on a small patch of land by the bus stop - and ends up in the same hospital ward with everyone who tried those mushrooms.

Each story ends with an unexpected tragicomic twist that both adults and children will appreciate.