Mali pelivan i druge priče i pjesme za mladež

Mali pelivan i dobre šteta i poješta za uljež by Croatian writer Josip Cvrtila belongs to the period of Cvrtila's most intensive work for children and young people, when his famous works Midsummer Night's Night (1922) and Tri dječaka (1925) were written.

The collection brings together shorter stories and poems intended for young readers. The focus is on children's characters and their everyday adventures, but also fantastic elements, unusual events and motifs from folk tales and the fairy-tale world. The title mali pelivan symbolizes willpower, courage and readiness to overcome obstacles, which is one of the fundamental messages of the book. Through simple, accessible and vivid stories, the author seeks to entertain young readers, but at the same time encourage them to think about moral values ​​and personal responsibility.

Cvrtila's work is characterized by imagination, lyricism and closeness to a child's view of the world. His stories often connect real situations with fantastic motifs, and the storytelling is imbued with Christian and educational values that were characteristic of Croatian children's literature of the interwar period. Critics have emphasized his ability to portray children's naivety, sensitivity, and imagination, and rank him among the most significant Croatian writers for young people of the first half of the 20th century.

Today, Mali pelivan i druge priče i pjesme za mladež is considered a valuable example of Croatian children's literature between the two world wars. The work testifies to the pedagogical and literary efforts of its time and occupies an important place in the oeuvre of the author, who dedicated a large part of his life to raising children and creating literature for young readers.