Success for two Croatian children’s books at the prestigious Bologna fair  

Pronađeno blago: Vulkan i Vinkovci/Treasure found: Vinkovci and Volcano by Iva Babić and Nikolina Starčević Vorgi

There has been success for Croatian children’s books in Italy, where two have been singled out from a multitude of books received from all over the world at the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair. 

Ogledalo bez mana by Agata Lučić has received the BolognaRagazzi Award Non-Fiction Special Mention, whilst Pronađeno blago: Vulkan i Vinkovci/Treasure found: Vinkovci and Volcano by Iva Babić and Nikolina Starčević Vorgić was selected for the BolognaRagazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf 2023. 

Success for Croatian children’s books in Bologna

Pronađeno blago: Vulkan i Vinkovci/Treasure found: Vinkovci and Volcano is bilingual picture book in Croatian and English that, following the transformation of a worried stray dog into the boy’s dog Vulcan, we also get to know the cultural heritage of the city of Vinkovci. The book encourages empathy towards animals, points to valuable archaeological and cultural heritage in the city, and highlights the knowledge that the greatest treasure is love.

The picture book is equally interesting and useful to both children and adults who know the city of Vinkovci or live there, as well as to those who can be motivated to visit it, and of course to all animal lovers.

Pronađeno blago: Vulkan i Vinkovci/Treasure found: Vinkovci and Volcano by Iva Babić and Nikolina Starčević Vorgić

“We are extremely proud of the book’s international success at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, where in a great competition among more than 2000 titles received from all over the world, it received the prestigious award of being on ‘The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf’,” said publishers Jupii.

Ogledalo bez mana’s heroine has dots on her face and hair all over her body. The word “fat” also appears, but these are not flaws, even in spite of the fact that the “face from the cover” also enters the mirror. because the mirror of Agata Lučić does not know the concept of flaws.

Ogledalo bez mana by Agata Lučić

Without hiding and with an indomitable smile, her heroine is reflected in it exactly as she is and is not to be intimidated, neither by externally imposed standards of beauty nor by threatening words (“Carnegiea gigantea”!), nor by threatening images of monkey hair or a huge body overflowing from a bathtub.

With witty and expressive forms, the author invites readers, primarily young ones, to look at themselves in the mirror without flaws and to accept their body, whatever it is, with a smile.

Many of the titles submitted were greatly admired and came very close to winning, which is why the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is proud and honoured to devote a special exhibition to these publishing gems and contribute to their visibility on the international stage, the jury said.