The Slovenian Section of IBBY – International Board on Books for Young People
Outstanding Books for Young People with Dissabilities
The IBBY Collection located at the Toronto Public Library features a large international selection of books for and about young people with disabilities. The books are chosen by the IBBY National Sections, as well as by independent experts and publishers. Every two years the IBBY National Sections nominate books for young people with disabilities to be added to the Collection. A selection of Outstanding Books is then made and this selection is summarized in a catalogue.
Slovenian books in the Selection
2023
V vrtincu črk
(In the vortex of letters)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text)
Lubi, Maja (ill.)
Slovenia: Morfemplus, 2022
ISBN 978-961-7067-87-3
2021
David: misija mogoče
(David: mission possible)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text)
Rus, Gašper (ill.)
Vogel, Nikolaj (gestures)
Ciglar, Veronika (sign language interpreter)
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Zveza društev gluhih in naglušnih Slovenije, 2020 ISBN 978-961-94804-1-0
Fifteen-year-old David is besotted with astronomy and space and would like to be an astronaut. When his dad takes him to a special space exhibition, he meets an alien, who uses sign language to tell David that the earth is in danger of collapse. Because David is deaf he can translate, but who will believe him?
This science fiction adventure is a simply written exciting read in print as well as Slovenian Sign Language. The comic-style illustrations by Rus are colourful. Outstanding sign language illustrations by Vogel are notable for their depiction of facial expressions, movement and his lived experience with hearing loss. In an innovative twist, conversations between David and the alien have QR codes attached, which lead to videos demonstrating the signing of the words of the text on those pages. Few books offer such a variety of access points for readers who are D/deaf.
2011
Žiga špaget gre v širni svet
(Spaghetti Joe goes into the wide world)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text)
Coh, Zvonko (ill.)
Dob pri Domžalah: MIŠ, 2010
ISBN 978-961-6630-98-6
Spaghetti Joe escapes from the cooking pot and on his way into the world comes across an apple. The apple is convinced that this strand of spaghetti is an enormous worm that will eat him. The illustrations are clear and concise and the objects depicted are life-size. This picture book, with its visual, tactile, even olfactory stimulus, is multi-functional, that offers ultimate artistic enjoyment to readers with
or without visual difficulties. The text is in Braille and print and the few tactile illustrations are clearly outlined, which allows the reader to distinguish the different bits of information by touch.
2009
Moja Nina
(My Nina)
Vidman, Janja (text)
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Založba Mladika, 2004
ISBN 961-205-118-6
Nina is fourteen years old, but she is still nine-ear old Tim's "younger" sister. Nina loves trains and locomotives. Their mother believes that this is Nina's way to freedom and that perhaps Nina in some way thinks that in the end of the journey she might be the same as everybody else. One day Tim decides to help jih sister. He collect's her from her special-needs school and takes her to the railway station. But all is changed. On Sundays the city and the station are empty. But in the middle of the week the city is full of people and the raiway station is full of travellers. This is very scary for nina who reacts by having a fit, and Tim realizes that he has to get help. The story shows the differences as well as the similarities between the siblings.
2005
Snežna roža
(Snow flower)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text)
Braille print: Jernej Pogačnik
Dob, Slovenia: Založba Miš, 2002
ISBN 961-6506-27-7
An Inuit girl, Aya, cuts herself on a fish bone. On the frozen plain drops a big, hot drop of blood. Out of the blood a beautiful flower grows. The Inuit are very happy, but in the cold arctic night the flower almost freezes. When morning comes, Aya wraps the flower in her scarf to keep it alive. As it glows and plays with the northern lights, the many-coloured flower spreads happines among the Inuit people for a long time. This tactile picture book is designed for partially sighted and blind readers, but can also be enjoyed by sighted readers. The illustrations are made according to a survey that demonstrated which materials blind children recognized as warm or cold. The text is written in Braille and standard print. Also provided is advice on how to use the book as a didactic resource.
1997
Kakšne barve je tema?
(What colour has darkness?)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text)
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Zavod za slepo in slabovidno mladino, 1996
This is a book of drawings made by adoloscents with visual impairments. The author teaches at the School for Blind and Partially Sighted Children in Ljubljana. She has created this book together with some of her pupils.
1997
Branko
Pecar, Branko and Sonja Ofak
Celje, Slovenia: Mohorjeva družba, 1996
ISBN 961 218 138 1
The drawings are made by the author who has a slight mental disability. Branko's book is an autobiography with pictures and a simple text. His drawings tell us about his life, home, family and friends. This book is the result of a close collaboration with his art teacher, Sonja Ofak.
