"There are three hundred ways to leave childhood, and only a few remember to remain an eternal child", he wrote. Miroslav Antić.
One of those rare ones is a married couple Radojicic - Milica i Goran, who joined forces, spun the "Carousel of Miracles" and composed verses that recently saw the light of day. Their book for young and old readers offers the joy of childhood, the power of imagination and the beauty of verse.
"The collection of songs 'Vrteška čuda' was created as a joint desire to give something that we believe will be permanent, first to our children, and then to all the children of the world. The written word, whatever it may look like today, still lives on. It may not occupy a central place thanks to new technologies, but it is still cherished just like paper and a living touch with a book and reading", says the co-author of the collection for "Vijesti".
He admits that theirs, as well as the children of relatives and those around them, were often the "inspiration and trigger" for a song, and that children's imagination is the backbone of the collection.
"Our goal was to put the world, which is so fantastic and incredible, from one tiny head, at least in a small part, onto paper. The book is intended for children and anyone who feels like a child, and even for those who have repressed the child, which, I'm sure, will emerge with one of the jokes or with a verse. This book is also an appeal to us adults that it is not easy to be a child, that childhood is the period when we tread in seven-ton boots, seven-mile steps, and that is when we become what we are in our mature years. It is also an appeal not to hide behind excuses and to preserve real and true values in this very challenging period of life, through love, imagination and trust", said Milica.
The two have been hanging out with poetry since their high school days, so the book was, they believe, a natural sequence. According to Goran, in Montenegrin children's literature, it is not often the case that spouses write a book together. They are glad, as he pointed out, that their joint debut attracted the attention of readers right after it was published.
"The production of literary works for children in our country is very scarce, less than ten titles are published annually, so the interest is greater because of that. The manuscript is made up of about thirty songs of different sensibilities, intended for different age groups, so all generations of our children - from kindergarten to the end of elementary school - can find something for themselves in this carousel. Also, the book is made up of anecdotes, jokes, witty thoughts that we have collected over the years and which were authored by our children. Our task was only to find a modality to fit those sentences into a literary form that is receptive to the youngest readers", said Goran, who is the president of the literary club "Poenta Poetika" and an editor at the "Zahumlje" JU.
The songs are diverse, from form to thematic-motive structure, and the themes are universal.
"Our wish was that this book, regardless of the fact that it deals with universal topics, does not 'sink' into superficiality and mediocrity, to avoid commonplaces and traps of the 'already seen'. The first reactions tell us that we have at least partially succeeded in this, and that makes us even more happy authors", concluded Radojičić.
The publishers of "Vrteška čuda" are the National Library "Njegoš" and "Zahumlje", and the book received the support of the Ministry of Culture in the competition for co-financing projects in the field of culture for 2020.
A book full of children ready for a book full of readers
According to one of the reviewers of the book, Tod Nikoletić, the "song adventure" of the married couple Radojičić, through "linguistic and stylistic acrobatics", offered the children "play as an educational norm". According to Nikoletić, the significance of "The Miracle of the Carousel" is not only its content structure and literary value, but also a kind of family manufacture.
"A combination of modern and traditional created in the childhood workshop. Permeation through the poetic reflection of young spouses. Dualism is the basis of the entire world from which life is born. Milica and Goran are Yin and Yang who create a world tailored to the child. From this complementarity, two styles are mixed, such as Avers and Vers, giving poetry greater value, and children the opportunity to think and be both gentle and smart at the same time. To spend their childhood as it is depicted in the song 'Vrteška čuda', which has an anthological value", wrote Nikoletić.
Dr Jasmina Nikčević, who is also a reviewer of the book, pointed out that all the songs are imbued with talent, warmth and sincere dedication for children, as well as that the lyrics exude a special sensibility and general knowledge of children.
"One can feel that the dominant unadulterated inspiration for writing poems is found in children's everyday experiences at home, in games and mutual contacts with other children of a similar age, in the world of imagination, in nature and in all parental thoughts, worries and preparations for their future... The poems are characterized clear language, spontaneous and free order of words that contributes to appropriate rhymes, listening to the contemporary pulse and interests of children and young people with an extremely positive educational humorous note," wrote Nikčević.
Editor Dušan Govedarica recommended that "every student get 'Vrteška čuda', a book full of children so that it is also a book full of readers - both children and adults".
The illustrations were made by a famous illustrator, children's poet and artist Peđa Trajković.
Bonus video:
