Ten books were nominated for the contest for the best book for children and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina CHILDREN’S EIGHT ’25, which is organized by the Publishing and Printing House PLANJAX komerc doo Tešanj, with the aim of popularizing and affirming literary creativity, namely: Ismet Bekrić – BREŽULJČICA’S HOUSE, Kemal Handan – PLAVA SUMA, Irma Husić – PLUSH FARM, Ivo Zeko – SKIPI, Naida Čardaković – HELLO WORLD, Sanja Seferović Drnovšek – KEEP CALM! WISH! WOW!, Jasmila Talić-Kujundžić – I MEASURE THE LOST SHOES, Slavko Klisura – SUNNY CLASS 2, Sonja Škobić – STORIES FROM THE WALNUT SHIP, Džehva Havić – IMAGINATION CAN DO ANYTHING.
According to the project manager Mirza Planjac, the selector, prof. Ph.D. Vildana Pečenković had her hands full to choose the best book and finally decide.
The best book for children and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2025 at the PLANJAX contest “CHILDREN’S LAUGHTER” is Sanja Seferović Drnovšek’s book “Zažmiri” Wish” Wow!”
Her name will be engraved in marble on the WRITER MEMORIAL placed in the Poet’s Park of the PLANJAX komerc publishing house in Bobare near Tešnj, and at the International Poetry Marathon in the Alley of the Writers, on May 28, the laureate will be presented with a plaque.
In her explanation, the selector prof. Ph.D. Vildana Pečenković wrote: “The hybridization of fairy tales and comics, as we find in this one the work represents a successful response to the needs of the digital age in which children are looking for visual dynamics and a fast pace of storytelling. Combining the magical world of a fairy tale with the visual immediacy of comics, the author creates a work that not only attracts the attention of a younger audience with its visual identitybut also conveys important ethical messages about kindness, caring for others and family values. Illustrations which signed by Enesa Ustamujić-Sejdić su equal participantsand storytelling. Those enabling the youngest readers to follow the narrative more easily and experience the adventure more fully, which makes this format especially attractive for the age groupand he is just developing his reading habits.”
Sanja Seferović Drnovšek, this year’s nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Award, the largest award in the world for children’s literature, by the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was born in Sarajevo. Lawyer, master of education, activist and writer. He lives with his family in Chicago.
She published the books “Confronting Prejudice”, the picture book “Does Zia the bumblebee need glasses?”, “Who laughs at the beautiful Camellia?”, “The Curious Cricket Romeo”.
She published stories and poems in the collections “Kahvedžije 3”, “Diary of a Childhood”, “Lyrical Bouquet” and “Woman with a Book”, and “Elf’s Feather: Fairy Tales from my Yard”. She is a member of the Society of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Institute for Children’s Literature Belgrade and the Association of Women Writers and Art Lovers “Woman with a Book”. She won the Golden Planjax pen in 2023 at the X competition for the best story for children and young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
PLANJAX’s competition for the best book for children and youth for this year is open until December 31.
