Elena Jablyanova

In the first thematic cycle of this poetry collection, the author is inspired by nature and ecology, afforestation, and autumn plowing. He sees an image of a ship in the clouds, is impressed by the dandelion and the dog rose bush’s struggle with the wind, discovers metaphorical turns for creating a poem in the tiny bee and snail. The frost and fog, the bare winter trees, the changing of the seasons become an occasion for short poetic impressions. The second thematic cycle is dedicated to today’s children and their problems: a D in math for a child who copies; a little girl who cannot manage to learn poems by heart and has her phone and tablet taken away; two grandmothers who brag that their grandchildren know English, but wonder if they will also learn Bulgarian. Illustrator Elena Jablyanova has approached the poems expressively and freely: a charming image of a child with an umbrella enjoying the rain; various kinds of hikers on a forest train in convincing perspectives. Woodpeckers and sparrows, dogs and chickens – they are all authentic and cheerfully drawn, while the anthropomorphized squirrel and hedgehog from the fable at the end do not lose their charm as animals. The dusk in the forest is genuine, with deep shadows on the trees. The tones change according to the nature of the different subjects. And the artist’s ability to draw children, animals, and nature leaves the impression of a homogeneous and mature style.