Jana Bauer: Čarobna omara
Illustrated by Ana Košir
Once upon a time, in a castle, there lived a princess. She had no lips as red as blood, no eyes as black as coal. She was neither friendly nor loving, especially not on her birthday; nothing pleased her then. The tired king and queen didn’t know what else to give her, but they were saved from their dilemma by the deaf castle wizard: the princess received a magic wardrobe, that would grant her six wishes, one for each birthday!
This out-of-the-box fairy tale about a spoiled princess brings imaginative twists, unusual turns, and just the right amount of nonsense and humour. The world where wishes come alive in unexpected ways sparks discussions about what we have and what we desire, about indulgence and modesty, as well as about natural beauty and – yes – plastic bags.
JANA BAUER (1975) is a beloved children’s and young adult author. She grew up in Kočevje, spending her summers with her grandmother by the Kolpa River. Her father was a passionate storyteller, and legends of witches, ghosts, and smugglers had the most significant influence on the development of her imaginative world. As her childhood years filled with pleasant daydreaming passed, she enrolled in a study of dramaturgy at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television. After completing her studies, she dedicated herself to writing fantasy stories for children. Her debut, Izginjevalec čarovnic, was nominated for the Večernica Award in 2003. Her popularity among young readers undoubtedly grew with the book Groznovilca v Hudi hosti, published in 2011 and translated into several foreign languages. Recently, the sequel, Groznovilca in divja zima, has also been released. Although her stories are originally written for children, their magic captivates readers of all generations. The book Groznovilca v Hudi hosti was nominated for the Večernica and Desetnica awards in 2013, received the Gold Pear Quality Award, and received high praise in Croatia. In 2020 Jana was honoured with the prestigious Desetnica award for her book Ding dong zgodbe and in n 2022 she received the Kristina Brenkova Award for the best picture book of the year.
ANA KOŠIR is a Slovenian painter and illustrator. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. So far, she has illustrated over a hundred monographic publications, mostly for children, and won the My Favorite Book award.