Yana Kazakova - Vitan the Frog

Vitan the Frog is a book created with the idea of introducing children to the problem of the common frog or grass frog, Rana temporaria, in a fun way. In Bulgaria, they make their home in the higher altitudes of the Balkan mountain range, but every year they make a great migration to a swamp at the foot of the mountain so that they can create their descendants. Environmental pollution threatens their existence, and their fate is now entirely in the hands of humans. The main character, Vitan, is a poet and traveller. Yana Kazakova has drawn him in such a way that he immediately appeals to us. And that’s quite an achievement for an illustrator, especially one involved in an important cause. The artist has also drawn everything else in this book delicately and carefully – the plants, the landscapes, the objects and the interiors, the otter, Alfredo the crow, and the rescuer – the Professor, a herpetologist. The stylization of the characters is subtle – the humanization of the frogs is achieved by adding small accessories – a cap, a scarf, a backpack. Yana Kazakova’s style can easily be likened to classic English illustration. The pencil technique is fine, the textures are soft, and the colour range is calm and earthy.