Today we talk about Rhinoroces Pilu, a book by Milanka Stankić published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Milanka Stankić, to get to know her better, where she found the inspiration to write her children’s book Rhinoroces Pilu, as well as how dyslexia should be approached by parents in her opinion.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write about Rhinoroces Pilu?
I have been working with children for a long time, more precisely for 35 years. Recently, there has been an increasing number of children who have difficulties with writing, reading, expressing thoughts in general. I’m sure that at a subconscious level I wanted to help them. On the other hand, rhinos are not often in the focus of our attention, there are not many books, cartoons, toys about them and they are very endangered. My Pilu has quite a problem with growing up and surviving in his world? Often inspiration makes me sit down and write. It’s rarely the other way around – I sit and wait for inspiration. And in my writing, the most important thing to me is the first word. Everything depends on it and itleads me onto those unknown paths. Just as rhinos have to survive this and at least the next century.
- What would you like to hear from your young readers?
First, I would like to hear that they have read the book. The book is a collection of short stories because I know that my young readers do not have the patience for long works. I hope that at least one of my readers felt empathy for Rhino Pilu, that they found a way to identify someone next to them who sometimes needs support. I would like them to understand their parents who, like Pilu’s parents, fight with all their might for the joy of their child. The other day, the mom of a young reader told me that her son was reading my book on holiday and that he was angry with the teacher who didn’t understand Pilu, but in the end he realized that she needed someone to help her too. We are all scared when we come face to face with unknown phenomena. What has reached me from my readers is that some grandmothers cried while reading the book. Is that good for the book, the writer? I am sure that this is a sign that what is written can reach the heart of the reader. I would like young readers to become deeply attached to my Pilu.
- What will children understand through your stories?
What would fill my heart with joy is to know that children, while reading my book, realized that all problems in life are solved by talking and looking for solutions. We are all the same, we are looking for someone who will love us and show us that love in a way that pleases us. That’s one of the ideas I wanted to push to the readers. But nothing is up to me anymore. Now everything depends on the reception of each reader who will search for the meaning of my sentences and the messages I wanted to leave.
- How do you think dyslexia should be approached by parents?
Thank you for this question. This question is the most important. The first thing I think is that parents should not think that their child is lazy and does not want to read. Certain procedures, algorithms are established when a child just feels that something is wrong with his escaping letters, as my Pilu says. Parents should believe that their child has certain problems with reading and memorizing text. They should talk to each other, encourage each other. It would be ideal for both parents to be involved in solving the perceived deficiency. Dyslexia is not a disease. That’s the difficulty. And that is very important information for parents. You should look for a solution, not run away from the problem. And it is very important for parents to understand that they are not alone. There are learned people who work in kindergartens, schools, experts from different fields, but also other parents who face similar fears and worries. And we know that support means that someone else has taken half of your pain and now you are at least 50% lighter. It’s not a consolation, but it can be, if we know that great actors, writers, artists have or had problems with dyslexia, and that gives us hope that one day our child will be able to realize his dreams despite the obstacles in his childhood. This does not necessarily mean that dyslexia as a difficulty will disappear, but we will all learn to be joyful in living with it. I would like the readers of my book to find precisely this hope that the family of little Pilu found and he himself, of course.
- Are you working on new writing projects that you can tell us about?
A writer gets attached to their characters and feels sorry when they part ways with them. Just like when you are a reader and you regret that there are no more pages of the book you liked. That happened to me too. I’m writing a book about Pilu in high school, which prepares him for new challenges related to changes in soul and body, but also to new value systems imposed by his peers. The book is called “It’s easier for me” and it is waiting to be translated into English. I look forward to the journeys that my Pilu, the readers of your publishing house and I will take together.
Europe Books thanks the author, Milanka Stankić, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Rhinoroces Pilu. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, may this book be a great source of inspiration for everyone and may it bring you a great experience to enjoy. And remember that, no matter how adult you are, books for children have a lot to teach us all! Written in simple and clear concepts, illustrated children’s book have the ability to give us important life lessons or they put us back in touch with our forgotten child side which just needs to be awakened.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!