Translation and printing of the Slovenian picture book Čukec Nukec

The project to translate and publish the bilingual picture book Čukec Nukec / Ćukić Nukić was carried out as part of a collaboration between the Institute for Ethnic Studies and the Slovene House of the KPD Bazovica in Rijeka, with support from institutions in Slovenia and Croatia. The project was primarily funded by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth, with additional funding provided by the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Slovenia and the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad and Around the World.

As part of the project, a Slovenian-Croatian educational picture book was published, intended for teaching Slovenian in Croatia. Approximately 500 participants were involved in the program, including Slovenian language teachers, Model C students in Croatian elementary schools, children and adolescents attending supplementary classes in Slovenian associations, participants in the program “Learning the Slovenian Language and Culture in Varaždin County,” and children who preserve and use Slovenian in a family setting.

The picture book is used for bilingual reading, language exercises, and conversations, thereby strengthening reading culture, the use of Slovenian, and the bond between Slovenia and Croatia. The project makes a significant contribution to the development of language literacy, the preservation of the Slovenian language, and the strengthening of cultural ties between the two countries.