A delightful translation of AntonTon (Antuntun in the original Croatian), a story about a "unique guy who does everything his own way"

Although most families in the U.S. won't know the name of Grigor Vitez, he is considered the "father" of modern Croatian children's literature. Born in 1911, he wrote fiction and poetry for children as well as adults. He is much beloved in his home country. In fact, in his honor, the Grigor Vitez award, established a year after the author's death in 1966, is given to an outstanding children's book each year in Croatia.

Now children can get to know him with a delightful translation of Vitez's AntonTon (Antuntun in the original Croatian), a story about a "unique guy who does everything his own way." AntonTon (who looks like a cross between Woody Guthrie and Daniel Levy) plants eggs in soil, uses a pig to chase mice, and sprinkles sheep with snow. Told in rhyme, this story is goofy enough to entertain children and lyrical enough to please adults. AntonTon is supremely confident and ingenious, and his odd ways are reminiscent of characters found in tall tales and folklore. The whimsical yet vigorous illustrations are by Tomislav Torjanac, the Croatian artist who may be best known as the winner of a contest to illustrate Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Rich in detail, the oil paintings help bring AntonTon to life.

Originally published in Croatia in 2009, this English translation is a welcome addition to any home or library.

Cyrisse Jaffee, The Arts Fuse