Mila Yaneva-Tabakova

Children’s poetry collections have a special place in Bulgarian literature. Following a long tradition that began in the 1920s, they are richly illustrated, and such is the case with the collection Tea from Paraguay, by Zoya Vasileva. The themes related to natural cycles – the changing of seasons, day and night – gradually and effortlessly enrich children’s knowledge about the world around them. A favorite technique of hers is word games, already hinted at in the title (which forms a rhyme in Bulgarian). And the adorable children’s excuses – five minutes of play become two hours, and the work that awaits can wait until tomorrow – create a dialogic style that is maintained until the end of the book. Illustrator Mila Yaneva-Tabakova finds an efficient key to the reading of this poetry with a free and lively watercolor technique. She inventively illustrates every two-poem folio with a picture that brings new meanings. Bees, bugs, and crickets inhabit the plant-filled environment. And the most charming are the dynamic images of the children, which are gushing with joy. The expressive silhouettes, the alternation of close and distant perspectives, and the different points of view are part of the artist’s artistic arsenal. She composes the text on each page precisely, so that it is as readable as possible. The result is a stylish and optimistic illustrator’s reading, aimed squarely at the target – the audience of children.