Gabriele Gobbo, a veteran of the European Apple community, has released a new coloring book designed to introduce children to Apple's history while encouraging screen-free, active engagement. Titled "The Adventures of Cupertino: A Read & Color Tribute to Apple's Story," the 74-page book features 13 historical milestones, including the Apple I, Macintosh, and iconic failures like the Newton and G4 Cube. Already a bestseller in Italy, the book aims to bridge the gap between passive screen consumption and the creative spirit of the original computer revolution.
Gobbo, who founded Italiamac in 1996 and grew it into a 100,000-member community, emphasizes that the book is not a textbook but a nostalgic journey. "I wanted to go beyond the hits," says Gobbo. "Sure, we have the iPhone. But to understand Apple, you have to understand the experiments. That is why you can color the Pippin console, the Newton, and the G4 Cube. It is about showing kids that innovation is a messy, beautiful process."
The book is part of Gobbo's broader mission to combat what he calls "digital sleepwalking"—passive consumption of content by children. As Vice President of the Digital Security Festival (2025 GoBeyond Award winner) and winner of the 2023 "Golden Communicator" MCC Digital Award, Gobbo promotes active digital education over passive screen time. "I wrote this book with the same mindset I use in university classrooms," explains Gobbo. "I wanted to create a tool that explains the magic of innovation without the distraction of a screen. It is about understanding the machine, not just staring at it."
The book includes word searches and "Draw Your Own Device" prompts for kids who finish coloring. It is available now on Amazon worldwide. The author notes that this is an independent and unofficial educational tribute, not affiliated with Apple Inc.
