Grigor Vitez is one of the founders of modern children’s poetry in Croatia, which is something he is involved in besides translating and editing books. His first collection of children’s poetry established a new way of writing: word play, nonsense and lyrical descriptions of nature. Without unnecessary moralising, he introduced a series of new expressive literary features and influenced generations of writers of children’s literature. His collections of poems have been translated into twelve foreign languages and have received prestigious literary awards, among them the Golden Bird for the best achievements in children’s literature. He has written a number of important Croatian works for children. The award for the greatest literary and artistic achievements in children’s literature bears his name.