My Place Under the Sun

In times of social distancing, constant screening and alienation, the picture book My Place Under the Sun stands out as an act of rebellion. Mirko Ilić, Rujana Jeger and Slavenka Drakulić, all internationally well-known names, came up with a purified concept that promotes tolerance and diversity, social inclusion and acceptance. The illustrations portray what is often seen as a laughingstock in children’s world – curly hairs, freckles, braces, glasses; or marginalized in society – LGBTIQ+ members of a community, ethnic minorities etc. The phrases from the book are abstract but represent crucial cornerstones in formative childhood years – curiosity, empathy, joy, love, equality, imagination. Characters are imagined as some sort of two-pieced puzzle, offering the idea of a better future. Brief, concise sentences and compact illustrations leave the reader – parent, teacher, grandparent – with vast possibilities of input and a role of an active participant in the process of storytelling. A reader should devote his time to explain and exemplify the ideas from the book while spending some quality time with a child.

The picture book My Place Under the Sun was made in the framework of the eponymous project focused on the problem of urban poverty of children to raise funds for adequate space for work with the vulnerable group of children in Rijeka. We are very proud to support this admirable initiative and to use our platform as a Publisher not only to promote social inclusion and tolerance but also to preserve the culture of reading and storytelling.