Marko Lives in Yugoslavia facts for kids

Marko Lives in Yugoslavia is a special book by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. It features amazing photos by Anna Riwkin-Brick. The book was first published in Sweden in 1962.

What the Story is About

The story follows a boy named Marko. He lives in Macedonia, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. Marko has a small white pig that he loves.

The Runaway Pig

One day, it's market day. Marko's little pig runs away! His mother tells Marko and his brother, Petor, to find it. They search and finally find the pig. The boys play with it for a while.

Later, it's Petor's turn to watch the pig. But the pig runs away again! Petor can't find it anywhere.

Adventures on the Search

While looking for the pig, the boys get a bit sidetracked. They see a lively wedding celebration. They also discover a secret cave, which is very exciting!

After a long day of searching and adventures, Marko and Petor finally go home. To their surprise, the pig is already there! It found its way back all by itself.

About the Book Series

Marko Lives in Yugoslavia is part of a larger series called Children's Everywhere. This series has 15 books in total. Marko Lives in Yugoslavia is the seventh book in the collection.

Translations and Publishing

This book has been translated into many languages. You can find it in English and German, for example. The first Swedish edition came out in 1962 from Rabén & Sjögren.

Interestingly, this book was not published in Israel. Many books from the series were very popular there. However, the story shows Marko hugging a pig in the photos. In Judaism, pigs are considered not kosher. This means they are not allowed for food or close contact. So, the book was not released in Israel.

Astrid Lindgren's Thoughts

Astrid Lindgren, the author, worked with Anna Riwkin-Brick on these photo books. Lindgren once shared her thoughts about the series. She said that while working with Riwkin-Brick was nice, she wasn't always happy with her own writing in these books. This included Marko Lives in Yugoslavia. She felt her writing wasn't as strong as Riwkin-Brick's photos.

Different Editions

Here are some of the different versions of the book published around the world:

• Marko bor i Jugoslavien, Rabén & Sjögren, 1962, Swedish Edition
• Marko Lives in Yugoslavia, The Macmillan Company, 1963, US-american Edition
• Marko in Jugoslawien, Oetinger Verlag, 1962, German Edition
• Marko bor i Jugoslavia, Gyldendal, 1962, Norwegian Edition
• Marko bor i Jugoslavien, Høst & søn, 1962, Danish Edition