Estonian Children’s Literature Centre is an organization dedicated to development, research, and promotion of children’s literature. Their activities shed light on the value of widening the accessibility of quality literature for households and educational institutions as well as the power of literature to invite children to think and discuss social issues.
“An Inspiring Start on the Journey” for Every Newborn
Most toddlers encounter books for the first time at home. The ‘first books’ matter for childhood development. The ‘gift book’ project to provide every newborn in Estonia with an anthology of children’s literature was initiated by Estonian Children’s Literature Centre in 2007 and has been financed by the Estonian Ministry of Culture since 2015. Entitled Pisike Puu (‘A Small Tree’), the gift book consists of classic and contemporary poems and stories accompanied by illustrations.1 “Carefully selecting works to include in each edition, we intend this gift book to be an inspiring start on the journey of children and the world of literature from early on. These books will be distributed through local libraries, fostering the accessibility to local resources,” says Triin Soone, Director of Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.
A visit to Estonian Children’s Literature Centre (February 20, 2023)
Expanding Domestic and International Accessibility to Children’s Literature
“We empower public libraries, schools, and kindergartens to incorporate quality literature for children into their education,” says Soone. Expanding the accessibility of information on literature for professionals in education is essential to make literature accessible for individual children. In cooperation with the Estonian Publishers’ Association, the centre launched a database named ELLSA.2 ELLSA has made the comprehensive information on children’s books, authors, illustrators, and translators available online.
The centre also promotes children’s literature in Estonia internationally. By introducing authors and illustrators at international bookfairs and facilitating exportation of their books, they provide creators with opportunities to be recognized abroad. In 2025, Estonia will be the Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which is expected to be another occasion to introduce Estonian literature worldwide.
Tiny Books as the Door to Human Rights
Estonian Children’s Literature Centre has been part of an international project Tiny Books from Baltic Authors. 36 writers and illustrators from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania created 18 stories on topics of human rights, including equality, diversity, disability, and gender. “It is time to encourage people to think and talk about human rights from an early age. These books can be the entrance for children to have open discussion,” says Soone. The books have been translated into 10 languages and are available for free online.3
Tiny Books from Baltic Authors
Acknowledgement
We thank Triin Soone (Director), Marju Kask (Development Manager), Brita Tuuling (Communication Manager), and Ulla Saar (Foreign Relations Manager) for welcoming our visit to Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.
Notes
For details, refer to Republic of Estonia Ministry of Culture, “Every Estonian New-born to Receive a Gift Book Entitled “Pisike puu,” November 3, 2015, https://www.kul.ee/en/news/every-estonian-new-born-receive-gift-book-entitled-pisike-puu.
For details, visit “ELLSA: Eesti Lastekirjanduse Andmebaas,” https://ellsa.ee/.
To download the materials, visit Vaikų žemė, “Tiny Books,” https://vaikuzeme.lt/tiny-books/.