Martine = Maja

PRE NEKOLIKO DANA sam u nekom hipermarketu prepunom najrazlicitijih sarenih drangulija ufiksirala samo jednu jedinu stvar - knjigu maja i njen drug vrabac.

Setila sam se mojih knjiga iz detinjstva, nekoliko naslova sa Majom u glavnoj ulozi koje mi je mama kupila par godina pre skole i, upravo saznajem, samo par godina nakon sto su uopste objavljene po prvi put.

Ove knjigice su za mene malu imale pravu magijsku vrednost. Isijavale su nekom ususkanoscu, ugodnoscu i sigurnoscu, a inspirisale su na nova istrazivanja i otkrivanje okoline i sveta. Fine, kao Majina kosa meke ilustracije, napravljene bas za devojcice, ucinile su da ona i dan-danas za mene bude prototip male Francuskinje.

Ispostavlja se da je Maju, u originalu Martine, stvorio belgijski duo Marcel Marlier i Gilbert Delahaye. Od '54, kada je izasla prva u nizu knjiga pojavilo se vise od 50 knjiga. I dok smo je mi zvali Maja, devojcice u drugim zemljama su je zvale ovako:



Tanke, nekih 20-ak strana koliko me secanje sluzi, velicine otprilike A4, sada u izdanju Lagune sa jako debelim tvrdim koricama, a tada, sa mekim, tanjusnim kartonskim. Verovatno u izdanju Decjih novina iz Gornjeg Milanovca, oni su stampali sve one albume u saradnji sa Paninijem.

Blurovani zavrseci ilustracija dodatno su pojacavali sanovitost mekih ilustracija. Secam se jasno i ovih zadnjih strana, i znakica u kome tri figure sinhrono razdragano trce. Podsecao me je na logo za Radost Evrope.



I tacno znam, ove sam ja imala. Omiljena mi je bila ova sa vozovima, putovanje, retro torbe, pogled iz voza, predeli promicu. Sve kao kad sanjas. Cista magija.


Tragajuci za elementima za ovaj post iznenadila sam se silno, kao pre 25 godina. Razrogacene oci, vilica pala. Secate se unutrasnje korice!? Devojcica kratke kose (kao ja u to vreme) pruza ruku prema velikim raznobojnim balonima koji leteci nose nove dozivljaje - scene iz drugih knjiga iz serijala. To je tada za mene bila slika koja je otvarala citave nove svetove. I, izgleda da jos uvek radi.

(full size via meet me at mikes)

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A FEW DAYS AGO in this supermarket filled with all kinds of different colorful stuff, I focused on this one single thing - a book that, in my loose translation is titled, Debbie and her sparrow friend.

I remembered my childhood books, a few titles with this little girl in the lead role. My mom bought me a few of these book a few years before I started to go to school, and as I just found out, just a few years after they were originally published.

These books were so magical for the little me. They shone with this lovely coziness, snuggly sense of security and inspired to new explorations, discovering the world. So fine, like Debbie's hair, soft and tender, made specially for little girls (and obviously grown up girls alike), these illustrations made her still be a French little girl prototype for me.

Turns out that Maya, as we, girls in Yugoslavia knew her, is originally called Martine, and is created by Beligian duo Marcel Marlier and Gilbert Delahaye. Since 1954, when the first Martine book was published, more than 50 titles got issued. And while we loved the girl named Maya, other girls world wide loved the same girl with different local default names. see image

Blurred endings to these illustrations enhanced further dreamy feel these soft drawings gave. I remember clearly front and back covers, this symbol with the three kids running synchronously. It reminded me of the logo for Joy of Europe, the manifestation that gathered the kids who'd perform their national dances and songs.

And I exactly recall that these were the ones mom bought me, the one with grocery shopping, the one with the merry go round, and the key one - trains. Travelling, retro bags, views from the train on the move, landscapes passing by. Like a dream. Pure magic. see image

Searching for the elements for this post, I got so thrilled when I found this inside cover. So happy and enchanted, exactly like 25 years ago. Eyes wide open, jaw fell to the floor. Remember that image!? A short haired girl (like me at that time and at that age) reaching to those huge colored balloons that carry some scenes from the other Martine books. It was the image that opened whole new worlds for me. And, as it appears, still does.

(full size via meet me at mikes)