A Book’s Journey is a reading promotion project developed by the Slovenian Book Agency in cooperation with the Slovenian Reading Association. It introduces children to how books are created, from author to reader, while encouraging early engagement with reading.
The project’s key goals are:
- to promote reading among primary school pupils,
- to present the process of book creation and related professions,
- to introduce comics and illustration as creative forms,
- to connect pupils directly with authors through school visits.
How the project works
The project combines a travelling exhibition with a two-part comic series created by writer Žiga X Gombač and illustrator David Krančan: A Book’s Journey: From Author to Reader (2016) and A Book’s Journey: The Mystery of the Missing Letters (2021). Through a recurring bookworm character, the comics present the world of books in a clear and engaging way, suitable for early readers. Both comics are printed in uppercase letters and use a clear, structured layout, and are accompanied by worksheets that support understanding and engagement.
The travelling exhibition is hosted by primary schools, libraries, and other institutions across Slovenia. Each participating school hosts the exhibition for approximately two weeks, during which it is open to pupils, school staff, parents, and other visitors. As part of the programme, one of the authors visits the school and participates in an event for participating pupils. Each pupil also receives a copy of both comics.
A Book's Journey: From Author to Reader
The exhibition and the comic A Book’s Journey: From Author to Reader (2016) present the process of book creation. The story guides the reader through the following thematic sections:
- The Birth of a Book: an introduction to the author, publisher, printing, and e-books,
- The Book Meets the Reader: an introduction to bookshops and libraries,
- Falling in Love with Books: a presentation of tools for promoting books to readers, including book promotion, awards, and projects,
- In the Embrace of Words: a meeting between the reader and the authors, where the Bookworm finds a new home.
A Book's Journey: The Mystery of the Missing Letters
A Book’s Journey: The Mystery of the Missing Letters (2021) is the second comic in the series. This educational story highlights the importance of books, stories, reading, and writing. In this story, the main character, the Bookworm, faces a difficult task: all the letters in the world have disappeared. Were they stolen? Eaten? Or have they simply vanished? Through the Bookworm’s playful search for the missing letters, the comic explores the importance of reading and writing, taking readers through different characters and across various worlds of knowledge. The comic is interactive and, in addition to the story, includes ten short reading-related messages.
A Book's Journey Goes Global
The comics are available in multiple languages: English (translated by Gregor Timothy Čeh), German (Liza Linde), Italian (Lucia Gaja Scuteri), and Serbian (Biljana Babić), with a Hungarian translation in preparation.
We present the A Book’s Journey project internationally at major book fairs, including Bologna, Leipzig, Vienna, and Frankfurt. The project has also been presented in Slovenian language teaching environments abroad, including Vienna and Banja Luka. It was additionally showcased during Slovenia’s Guest of Honour appearances at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2023 and at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2024.
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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