The Book

Blue – Book you can talk to

The book Čovečuljak/Blue contains 48 stories, each written in exactly six words and illustrated through a narrative told by the same character called Čovečuljak.

The inspiration for these stories comes from humanity—its feelings and relationships, both with others and oneself, as well as with life in general. The challenge lies in finding a common portrayal of various life situations. How can the reader grasp the message at a glance and feel understood, without having to share their own experiences or read someone else’s. The goal is to convey what the story means to the reader, ensuring that no one feels excluded—whether they grasp the message or not. The intent is to provide comfort as the reader engages with the story, creating the sensation that they are having a conversation with someone. This might lead to further reflection, encouraging them to write a new six-word story, envision a different illustration, or even consider altering some of the situations that Čovečuljak discusses.

We aim to create a distance between the author and the reader. Instead of presenting ourselves directly, we want to develop a fictional character through illustrations. This character will become familiar to readers through various stories and may even resonate with them personally. Perhaps the reader will see themselves reflected in this character.

The challenge was to convey the story’s message using exactly 6 words. It requires selecting the right words and crafting them into a six-word story. The aim is to ensure that the text doesn’t overwhelm the reader by highlighting what is important and deemphasizing what is less significant. We want to make reading and critical thinking more accessible through various media, especially for young people who are accustomed to learning in new and different ways. In addition to printed books, they engage with information through the internet, texts, blogs, audiobooks, and, of course, digital books.

Attention is given to ensure that the illustrations do not obstruct the text or complicate the message by hiding behind colors and shapes or excessive details. Instead, the goal is to create illustrations that bring characters and entire scenes to life using only basic geometric shapes in black and white graphics. With minimal text and graphics, the focus is on conveying a full emotional experience and a clear message.

It was innovative to create a hybrid work that combines two forms of art in a way that neither predominates over the other. Instead of having one aspect simply complement the other, each art form is presented as equally important throughout all 48 stories. The format features six-word stories, inviting readers to engage with both the text and the illustrations simultaneously, rather than one after the other. The words are woven into the illustrations themselves, effectively transforming the reading experience into a graphic narrative.

The uniqueness of the creation is also evident in the English version of the book. This is not a mere translation; it serves as a study of humanity and explores how individuals relate to themselves, to others, and to life in general. The aim is to investigate whether the situations and relationships described by the author occur outside the society in which he primarily studied and gathered stories, drawing from some of his own experiences. Furthermore, six ordinary, simple words, commonly used in everyday life, are needed to convey these themes.

The name “Blue” was chosen because it signifies someone who thinks, deep thinker, which reflects the essence of character.

Čovečuljak/ Blue is an interactive book that can be discussed, but most importantly, a Book you can talk to.