• Publisher: Zala
• 32 pages
• Author: Nina Mav Hrovat
• Ilustrator: Marta Bartolj
• Original title: Ozimnica

A gentle and joyful story about work and friendship.

A squirrel gathers hazelnuts to stock up for the winter. The work is hard, so she asks her friends for help.

With their joint efforts, everything is easier.

Every day they work, have fun and snack on the hazelnuts they gather. The work is pleasant, but there are never any hazelnuts left for the winter.

Something will have to change. But what? 

Will the squirrel manage to prepare for the winter?

About the author

Nina Mav Hrovat

Nina Mav Hrovat is a teacher and heads a children's kindergarten. As one of the founding members of the Mlin Radomlje Cultural Society (Kulturno društvo Mlin Radomlje) she has undertaken many roles – including acting, playwriting, directing and, from 2013–2017, as the society president. For several years, she headed the fairy-tale reading sessions at the Domžale Library, and it is her work with children and interest in fairy-tales that led her to her first authorial work. This was published in 2001 in the Ciciban and Cicido magazines, with some also in the Trobentica magazine. Some of her work was published as picture books, and her debut fairy-tale The King Who Hated Tidying Up (O kralju, ki ni maral pospravljati) received an award for the most original Slovenian picture book in 2009. In 2013, The Mouse that Gathered Courage (O miški, ki je zbirala pogum) fairy-tale was nominated for the Kristina Brenkova Award, and in 2019 The Mouse Finds New Friends (Miška želi prijatelja) fairy tale was nominated for the Desetnica Award. Ozimnica / Stores for the Winter is nominated for the Kristina Brenkova Award (2021)

About the illustrator

Marta Bartolj

Marta Bartolj was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, in 1979. After graduating from the Arthouse College of Visual Arts, Ljubljana, in 2011, she pursued her postgraduate master’s studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana, where she immersed herself in illustration. Marta loves to put on my illustrator’s shoes — they are the ones she feels most comfortable in. Awards, special mentions: 2021 Finalist for the 55th Illustrators Exhibition Bologna. 2020 Finalist for the BIBF Ananas Illustration Awards/International Illustration Exhibition. 2020 The Golden Pear Label for the book "Will everything be all right?" (Cvetka Sokolov, Miš Publish.). 2020 The White Ravens for "Will everything be all right?" (Cvetka Sokolov, Miš Publish.). 2019 IBBY Silent Books Collection: from the world to Lampedusa and back - "Kje si?" on the Honour list 2019. 2019 The Golden Pear Label, "Kje si?". 2019 The White Ravens, "Kje si?". 2018 The nomination and Special prize for the book "Kje si?" ("Where are you?") as an outstanding wordless picture book at the 2018 Kristina Brenkova Awards. 2016 UL ALUO Student's Award for my Master's Thesis. 2015 7th Brumen (shortlisted).