(С)обувки
By: Olivera Kjorveziroska & Natalija Lukomska
Publisher: Ars Lamina, Macedonia, 2025
Format: Hardback, padded
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The first silent book from Macedonia!
(С)обувки is the very first silent book to be published in Macedonia. When we discovered this book at the Bologna Book Fair 2026, we were immediately impressed by the lavish presentation: The book is showcased in a beautiful shoe box! There is a flyer to go with it, where several well-known Macedonian writers share their personal interpretation of the story, and a qr-code where every reader can share their stories as well. This wonderful launch is very refreshing in a publishing industry where silent books usually only get a minimum of the marketing funds.
The title of this book translates to "Shoes", but even if you do not know Macedonian, the theme of the book is quite obvious both from the cover and the endpapers. The book has a strong forward movement: All the characters are going in the same direction. The movement is reinforced by the wind blowing them forward, by signs pointing to a shoe shop and by the use of different kind of strings: The string of a red balloon, the ribbon in Cinderella's hair, the tie of Red Riding Hood's cape... With this, the authors literally ties the book to the silent book tradition, as both the use of wind to move the protagonists, and the use of string tied to actions is common in so many famous silent book titles.
The book is also filled with all kinds of different characters, all with intervisual/intertextual references. There's Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Goldilocks and many more fairytale and folklore figures, alongside Pippi Longstocking, Mary Poppins and other well-known literary figures. This very diverse group of protagonists have one thing in common: None of them are wearing any shoes! Luckily, a street sign shows both the reader and the characters where the shoes are to be found - in the shoemaker's shop, of course.
The shoemaker's shop is brimming with shoes of all types and sizes, something to fit everyone. Young readers will have a lot of fun watching some of the characters make untraditional choices. For example, Puss in boots goes for a pair of golden glass slippers, while Cinderella settles for his more comfortable and practical red boots.
The little blond girl that resembles Goldilocks has her heart set on a pair of pink high heels. In a very effective visual storytelling grip, her shadow is presented at one spread, only to reveal the image of her in full color on the next. This is so cleverly executed that it gives the impression of being printed on see-through paper, even though it is not.
(С)обувки is a wonderful start of what will hopefully become a new literary tradition: The Macedonian silent book. The abundance of intervisual references will inspire children's imagination and storytelling. The authors show a deep understanding of what makes a silent book work, through the creation of visual movement, the deliberate use of color, and all the fun, small details that will inspire even more stories. The nod to other silent book makers, to fairytales and to literature connects the book with the international silent book- and storytelling tradition in a beautiful way.
The publisher has one a great job, not only with the marketing but also with the format: The size is perfect to fit in a childs hand, the padded bookcover has a lovely, vintage feel to it and the color printing is beautiful.
