The A Book's Journey project was developed by the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK RS) in collaboration with the Reading Society of Slovenia (BDS) to showcase the process of creating a book, from the author to the reader.
The project is based on a comic by Slovenian writer Žiga X Gombač and illustrator David Krančan, which introduces children to the world of books in an engaging and enjoyable way. A charming bookworm character accompanies them throughout the journey.
A Book's Journey is available in two forms: as an exhibition on posters that tours schools, libraries, and other institutions, and as a comic book of the same name.
The project's goals include:
- Encouraging reading among students in the 1st and 2nd trimester of primary school.
- Illustrating the book creation process and familiarizing students with careers in publishing and book marketing.
- Introducing illustration and comics as important forms of literary expression.
- Promoting author visits to schools and connecting students with creators.
A Book's Journey, From Author to Reader
The exhibition The Book's Journey, From Author to Reader and its accompanying comic book, first published in 2016, present the book creation process in an entertaining and captivating way. They guide us through the following key themes:
- The Birth of the Book: an introduction to the author, publisher, printing, and e-books.
- The Book Meets the Reader: an exploration of bookstores and libraries.
- Falling in Love with Books: a presentation of tools for promoting books to readers, including book promotions, awards, and projects.
- In the Embrace of Words: a meeting between the reader and the book's creators, where our hero, the Bookworm, finds his new home.
A Book's Journey: The Mystery of the Missing Letters
A Book's Journey: The Mystery of the Missing Letters, published in 2021, is the second comic book in the series. Created by writer Žiga X Gombač and illustrator David Krančan, this educational story emphasizes the importance of books, stories, reading, and writing in our lives. In this story, the main character, the Bookworm, faces a challenging dilemma: all the letters in the world have disappeared. Were they stolen? Eaten? Or have they simply vanished? Through the Bookworm’s playful quest to find the missing letters, the comic explores the significance of reading and writing. The story takes readers to various places and introduces them to different characters across the world of knowledge. The comic is interactive, offering not only the story but also 10 educational saying about reading.
Both comic books are printed in uppercase letters, and the text follows a systematic structure, making it suitable for early readers who are learning to read and write. The book is also accompanied by worksheets designed for young readers, which help them better understand the story.
A Book's Journey Goes Global
Both comics, A Book's Journey and The Mystery of the Missing Letters, are available in multiple languages: English (translated by Gregor Timothy Čeh), German (translated by Liza Linde), Italian (translated by Lucia Gaja Scuteri), and Serbian (translated by Biljana Babić). We have also prepared a multilingual poster for The Book's Journey and an exhibition in German.
We present A Book's Journey project on the international scene—at book fairs in Bologna, Leipzig, Vienna, and Frankfurt. Additionally, we have visited Slovenian language teachers abroad in Vienna and Banja Luka. The project was also showcased during Slovenia's guest of honour appearance at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the fall of 2023 and at the Children's Book Fair in Bologna in the spring of 2024, where Slovenia was also the guest of honour.
For more information about the A Book's Journey project, please contact:
Sabina Tavčar, T: +386 1 320 28 33, E: sabina.tavcar@jakrs.si.
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