The Embassy of Croatia organized an interactive book event for the newly released book, “Wow, This is Croatia (Wow, ovo je Hrvatska)” by Ružica Kandić and illustrated by Ana Rako. This book provides an exciting interactive activity through the myths and legends of Croatia while providing interesting information about the region in the story and the town where the tale was set. Stories include the tale of Saint Blaise with information about the city of Dubrovnik, the culture, Croatian phrases, and interactive activities for children to follow along with the story.
The book event began with the editor for ALFA Publishing Inc., Ms. Anita Benčec Nikolovski, who presented her role in providing services for aspiring writers in Croatia and creating textbooks and education publications for various education institutions and platforms for teachers and professionals. ALFA is one of the top three largest book publishers in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Wow, This is Croatia” is one of the many books published by ALFA.
The presentation was followed by the author Ružica Kandić who provided an interactive presentation about the book and the locations in Croatia where the legends are set. “Thank you very much, this is a dream come true!” said Kandić, as she presented with energy and excitement with the local Croatian-American children who were very well-behaved and attentive. The reception closed with a book signing of her works where all the forty participants, including families, received a copy of “Wow, This is Croatia.” Along with Randić’s book, ALFA provided several selections of titles published by them, including “Run! Don’t Wait For Me” by Bojana Meandžija and “My Beloved Zagreb” by Ante Birin, Tomislav Šarlija, and Nikola Štambak.
This book offers readers a new and original way of introducing children and adults alike to the Croatian legends and folklore told for centuries while also providing an interactive traveling itinerary so they can visit the locations themselves.
“Wow, This is Croatia” was written based on the inspiration of the author’s childhood memories of listening to her grandmother tell her tales about myths and legends about her hometown of Split. “I always looked forward to cuddling next to her under a warm blanket, while her gentle voice would lead me each night to another world. I remember the exact moment when our adventure began.” (Wow, This is Croatia, page 3).
Ružica Kandić was born in 1980 in Split, Croatia, where she lives with her family. She teaches English and German. In her free time, she writes stories for children and has fun with her family and friends. Her book was written out of love for foreign languages and teaching through play.
Kandic’s book and other ALFA published books can be purchased from the ALFA portal or via email [email protected].
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