One Sun for all the Stars

In March 1998, we cooperated with Bibiana, the International House of Art for Children, on the puppet show “Danka and Janka” performed by the actress Nela Dušová, with which we opened a cheerful birthday exhibition for the most well-known children’s magazine Slniečko (Sunshine). During the exhibition children could learn more about the over 70-year history of the oldest children’s magazine in Slovakia, which was founded in Martin in 1927 by such important figures as Jozef Cíger Hronský and Jaroslav Vodrážka, authors of the famous children’s fairytales Smelý zajko, Budkáčik a Dubkáčik, and Tri múdre kozliatka (The Brave Rabbit, Budkáčik a Dubkáčik and The Three Wise young Goats). Visitors to the exhibition got to know the “parents” of the well-known and popular children‘s “anti-hero” the foolish Jožko Mrkvička, writers Mária Ďuríčkova and Miroslav Cipár. At a discussion they could meet the author of Slniečko’s geography and civics Vladimír Ferko as well as the author of the column “Children in Green“, the nature-lover Marta Šurinova, the editorial staff of Slniečko, the editor Ľuba Kepštova and they could also take part in crowning the most read children’s book for 1997. This special title was awarded by the children to the book “Veverička Veronka” (Veronica the Squirrel), which was written by the author Ján Uličiansky and painter Peter Čisárik.