Giovanni is a superhero, but not just any superhero; he's his brother Giacomo's superhero, and as such, he's special. He's not a child like all the others: he has an extra chromosome, which sets him apart and often makes him incomprehensible and unpredictable. Being strange and different, however, isn't synonymous, as this story demonstrates, with being imperfect, and at the same time, having Down syndrome doesn't equate to being "defective." Giacomo understood this from an early age, when his parents announced that he and his two sisters, Chiara and Alice, would soon have a "special" little brother. Needless to say, in the eyes of a child, this word is immediately associated with superpowers that grant extraordinary abilities. Giovanni has abilities that few possess; he's an inexhaustible source of imagination, spontaneous, impulsive, and closely linked to Rana the frog and the dinosaurs, his inseparable companions. But above all, Giovanni possesses the ability to involve those around him in everything he does, and manages to captivate everyone. Giacomo, however, finds it very difficult to accept all this and realizes that the superpowers he thought he had are not the same as his brother's. He faces a difficult period between middle school and high school, during which his awareness of the differences between him and Giovanni matures to the point of turning into shame. Throughout his early adolescence, he behaves like a flying fish: they leap out of the water not for fun, but to defend themselves from predators; similarly, he hides Giovanni's existence from his peers for fear of being ridiculed, even though it makes him suffer. The only way for Giacomo to bring things back to normal is to adopt an attitude that rejects the word Down's syndrome as a sign of contempt and as a label that negatively highlights their differences. Giovanni is a dance, and Giacomo's problem is hearing his own music, but little by little, after twelve years, he finally manages to enter his brother's world, understanding that there are no valid reasons for being ridiculed and ostracized by his peers. People make fun of what they don't understand, what they fear, and Giacomo, in this book, opens the doors to a world everyone is aware of, but whose very nature is difficult to grasp. This light and simple story demonstrates how the only way to understand and accept others is to get to know them, with their strengths and weaknesses. Giovanni, after all, is like everyone else, because everyone is chasing something: many are chasing time, hoping to stop it; some are chasing people, so as not to let them go; and still others are chasing what they cannot have. He, on the other hand, is chasing dinosaurs.

What's better than the birth of a little brother to play with? And what about the nine months of waiting to imagine his face, his voice, his personality, decide on a name, and buy a pram, clothes, and diapers. In short, design the future!
But if all these hopes were to crumble when you realized you could no longer do anything you'd imagined because the newcomer has something more than the others, how would you behave? How would you react? And how would you answer the question: "Why did I find a playmate like this?"
This is the story Mazzariol tells us, but not only that, because he discovers that the adventures he imagined no longer matter, because he understands that life, by denying him some possibilities, has granted him new and better ones.
The author approaches an often sensitive subject with irony and lightheartedness.
The events are told from a child's point of view, therefore in a calm style characterized by simple but effective words.
The lives of the two boys are narrated in primo romanzo , My Brother Chases Dinosaurs, published by Einaudi in 2016, the year the author took his high school diploma.

This book, written by Giacomo Mazzariol, a nineteen-year-old boy, recounts part of the life of his little brother Giovanni, a child with Down syndrome. When he was little, Giacomo wanted a brother because he couldn't play boys' games, like wrestling, with his two sisters. He also wanted one because, up until that point, boys were in the minority in his family. So, when one day his parents announced the arrival of a little brother to their children, Giacomo couldn't contain his joy. His mother added that he would be "special." Giacomo associated the word "special" with superhero, thinking that this child would have superpowers. Thus, Giovanni was born, a name chosen by his older brother. Giacomo, initially very enthusiastic, will go through a phase in his life, adolescence, where this elation will turn to shame, almost rejection. In fact, by middle school, he keeps the existence of his little brother a secret from his classmates. It takes twelve years before Giacomo accepts his brother as he is, even with his small flaws. Giovanni will be accompanied by his brother to the town carnival, no longer afraid that someone might see them and make fun of them.
I really enjoyed this book because the story told is true and reflects reality. I tried to identify with Giacomo and understand his difficulty accepting a brother who is "different." It's easy to condemn him for his behavior when he "denies" Giovanni's existence. But we mustn't forget that our society is closed-minded and still struggles to accept those with characteristics different from our own. Hence Giacomo's discomfort, which I would also feel in a similar situation.
I should add that, despite the complexity of the subject matter, the book is easy to read because of the language used, which is truly accessible to everyone.

How cool is chasing dinosaurs with my brother…

We all sometimes find ourselves having to make choices and important decisions, but anyone who is pondering the choice of a good book without finding the "right" one should have no doubts about what I'm about to describe. "My Brother Chases Dinosaurs" is the story of the Mazzariol family, told by Giacomo, the son and author of the book, brother of Chiara and Alice, and opens with an unexpected announcement from the parents: the Mazzariol family will now be "two by two." It's immediately clear that the family will have three girls and three boys, to the delight of the father and little Giacomo, who had long felt outnumbered, because a little brother is on the way. After much discussion, the name is decided: Giovanni. The new arrival, however, brings with him some difficulties for the family, as he has Down syndrome, and the most shaken is Giacomo himself, who, after finding and reading a book by his mother about the syndrome even before the little one was born, realizes he won't have a brother, but a superhero. But it's precisely about those superpowers that Giacomo will have doubts about as he grows up. The story unfolds around the changes that have occurred in the family with this new birth, particularly the young narrator-protagonist's first confident and strong convictions. As he grows, changes, and faces new experiences, he no longer finds the foundation of his childhood certainties regarding his brother's superpowers, which no longer seem so "super" to him. Ultimately, it reveals itself to be the most beautiful love story between two brothers. Giovanni has brought so much joy to the Mazzariol family, sharing smiles and the most genuine emotions. Having an extra chromosome doesn't discriminate, and the story makes this clear. Having a relative with this syndrome brings certain challenges, but it's not an obstacle to stop and feel sorry for yourself, but rather an additional reason to forge ahead, continuing to seek happiness in their life together. I recommend everyone read it because it touches you deeply and leaves a mark, just as it did on me.