In the first full-length study in English of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, the authors show how the checkered history of the puppet illuminates social change from the pre World War One era to the present. The authors argue that most Americans know a trivialized, diluted version of the tale, one such source is Disney's perennial classic. The authors also discover that when adults are introduced to the 'real' story, they often deem it as unsuitable for children. Placing the puppet in a variety of contexts, the authors chart the progression of this childhood tale that has frequently undergone dramatic revisions to suit America's idea of children's literature.

"Wunderlich and Morrissey's love for Collodi's novel, their exhaustive research, and their wit combine in a scholarly, affectionate study that illuminates not only Pinocchio but some fundamental elements of twentieth-century American children's culture." -- Children's Literature Association Quarterly"[Wunderlich's and Morrissey's] book is filled with interesting facts and subtle conclusions, worth reading slowly, savoring, and pondering." -- Children's Literature Association Quarterly