A Little Brother

Mario wishes he had a little brother—to teach him how to spit out meat into a napkin and hide it in his pocket without getting caught, to sneak into his bed after a bad dream, to finally learn to swim together. But every time he asks, his mother’s face turns sad, and his father tells him that some questions shouldn’t be asked. So that’s it? Not quite.

Because someone new does arrive. His name is Nanni: clumsy, round, and patched with too many colors—and, above all, a dog. At the shelter he was lonely and ill-tempered, but now he loves stealing meatballs and socks, sniffing strangers on the street, howling with joy, and sleeping next to Mario.

Nanni has been by Mario’s side for months when the boy’s wish finally comes true: a new family member is on the way—this time without a tail or that smelly bush of tangled fur. All attention shifts to the baby’s arrival, and Nanni fears he’ll be left behind once again… like a dog.

What he doesn’t yet know is that love doesn’t get divided—it multiplies.

A luminous story about the universal need to feel loved. Even a goofy little dog, with his guilty conscience, who between a chewed-up shoe and a raid on the cookie jar, has something to teach us—about our desires, our fears, and the unbreakable strength of our bonds.