On Thursday, October 19, at 5:30 PM, the presentation of new tiny books will take place at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, along with the authors. The project “Tiny Books – Big Stories” involved writers and illustrators from Lithuania, France, Germany, and Estonia. In total, eight tiny books for children were created.
“Children eagerly want to get to know the diverse reality around them. At the same time, it is important that children recognize themselves in stories and illustrations. The stories created by the authors of tiny books address human rights-related themes, such as equal opportunities, cultural diversity, life in freedom, and different bodies,” said Markus Köcher, the head of the cultural department at the Tallinn Goethe Institute.
“The books invite readers to reflect on human rights and overcome their prejudices,” adds Ulla Kihva, the head of the cultural sector at the French Institute in Estonia. “The project team believes that such topics should be addressed and introduced in childhood in today’s world to create an inclusive and cohesive society.”
This time, the project involved five writers and five illustrators, resulting in eight tiny books. The authors are Edouard Signolet and Cécile Pruvot (France), Ayşe Bosse and Julia Dürr (Germany), Simona Jurčiukonytė and Jurga Vilė (Lithuania), as well as Kairi Look, Anti Saar, Anne Pikkov, and Reda Tomingas (Estonia).
To reach as wide an audience as possible and to eliminate language barriers, tiny books have been translated into Estonian, German, French, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian. The books can be read electronically or downloaded for free from www.tinybooks.eu after the presentation on October 19. New tiny books in Estonian and German can be explored here. Accompanying the tiny books are methodological materials for parents and educational institutions working with children. The instructional materials were prepared by a child psychologist, a children’s literature critic, and reading promoters. They encourage reading together with children and discussing more complex topics.
The creators of the project hope that the tiny books will be read and shared worldwide and used in educational institutions for workshops and discussions.
The presentation of books is part of the children and youth literature festival Luup programme, and its partners are the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn Goethe Institute, and the French Institute in Estonia. In addition, workshops with the tiny book authors will take place during the festival in Haapsalu, Viljandi, and Tallinn. International illustrators will also draw at the Read Aloud event on October 20th.
For more information:
Markus Köcher Head of the Cultural Department, Tallinn Goethe Institute, markus.koecher@goethe.de, 5645 4945
Ulla Kihva Head of the Cultural Sector, French Institute, ulla.kihva@ife.ee
Ulla Saar Head of International Relations, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, ulla.saar@elk.ee
