Heart of Croatia has undertaken the project of bringing our customers 2 beautiful books, both written by an Australian-Croatian author, and illustrated by an artist who lives in Croatia. Even though the cost of shipping books from Australia is very expensive, we feel compelled to bring our American audience books with which they and their children can identify:  Grandmothers and their wisdom and unconditional love, which is a universal theme...that, combined with the power and transformative beauty of the Adriatic Sea, are very compelling reasons to offer you the opportunity to purchase and enjoy these books. 

"Do you know a grandpa just like the sea? Who dives like a dolphin and swims so free?

My Grandpa is Like the Sea is a captivating children’s story that follows a grandpa who is like the sea! But what happens when Grandpa and grandson get lost at sea? A story of exploration, adventure, and belonging.

My Grandpa is Like the Sea is inspired by childhood memories of long summers spent at Natalie’s grandparents’ homes in Korčula and Mali Ston and with family in Dubrovnik on the southern Dalmatian coast in Croatia. The illustrations are reflective of the cultural influence of the region.

My Grandpa is Like the Sea uses rhyme to cover a range of universal themes, including belonging, love, and family. My Grandpa is Like the Sea follows on from Natalie Franćeska’s first children’s picture book My Grandma is Like the Sea."

Recall the freedom of a childhood spent by the sea. My Grandma is Like the Sea and My Grandpa is Like the Sea will connect with all ages, children and adults alike.

**AUTHOR BIO**

 Natalie Franćeska was born in Sydney, Australia with Croatian roots. Her father was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia hailing from Mali Ston, and her mother was born in Korčula, Croatia. My Grandma is Like the Sea & My Grandpa is Like the Sea are both inspired by childhood memories of long summers spent at Natalie’s grandparents’ homes in Korčula and Mali Ston and with family in Dubrovnik on the southern Dalmatian coast in Croatia.

The illustrations are reflective of the cultural influence of the region.  

Natalie Franćeska is a talented storyteller who is passionate about inspiring and connecting others. She is a business graduate, and she studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in her hometown of Sydney, Australia. Natalie is the proud founder of Nala’s Den, a parenting and wellbeing blog. There, Natalie shares her own pearls of wisdom.

**ILLUSTRATOR BIO**

Sanja Kolenko is a children's book illustrator and graphic designer based in Croatia. Her style is a unique combination of traditional folklore motifs and a fresh, modern outlook on digital illustration. Sanja's work evokes a sense of magic and brings us all back to childhood memories of the sea.

"I was born in 1992 in the small town of Varaždin, in Northern Croatia. I received my Master’s Degree from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Teacher Education in 2017.  I started drawing as it always brought me joy and was my safe space.  Daydreaming was a big part of my life too, and I must admit it still is. 

The two most important pillars of this book are vibrancy and richness of detail: these are what I wanted to convey the most prominently. As per the author’s requests, the goal was to properly convey the astounding wealth and vividity of colour that’s present in the Croatian seaside, and the various details peppered throughout the work help ground it into reality.

It's’s the sense of belonging and discovery that lie at the core of the book. This is ultimately universal, and I believe that there’s plenty of potential here for most readers to reflect on their own childhood experiences."

Since this book is shipped to us from Australia, we are currently taking pre-orders as the shipping, particularly for books, is very expensive.

We will be taking pre-orders up until March 7th.