Carlo Collodi (1826–1890) was the pen name of Carlo Lorenzini. The Florence native took the name of his mother's native village, where he attended school.

Collodi served in the Tuscan army during the Italian wars of independence and founded a satirical weekly, Il Lampione.

The author of novels, plays, and political sketches, he translated Charles Perrault's fairy tales from the French, and in 1881 his Storia di un burratino (Story of a Puppet) was published in installments in the Giornale per i bambini, appearing two years later in book form as The Adventures of Pinocchio.

Robert Ingpen's illustrations evoke scenes of station life and convey Jim's excitement at the arrival of the new pedal radio. The flaps with their wonderful pencil sketches of the characters open up to reveal rich colour scenes.

Fascinating factual information at the back of the book explains how the pedal radio worked and how the Flying Doctor and the School of the Air developed as a result. A sister book to the award-winning Tea and Sugar Christmas, with the same author and illustrator.