How is a book created? Where do writers find their ideas, and what happens before a story reaches its readers? Year 1 pupils at Savremena Primary School explored these questions during a special visit organised as part of the Parents at Work project.

This time, class I-3 welcomed Tamara Simeonović, the mother of one of the pupils, who works in writing and publishing. She delivered an engaging presentation entitled “From Imagination to Book – How Are Stories Born?”, introducing the children to the world of books from a completely different perspective.

Tamara explained how an initial idea develops into a story, what stages are involved in creating a book, and the important roles played by editors and publishers. The pupils discovered how many different steps are involved in producing a book and learnt about a profession they might not have previously considered.

One of the most exciting parts of the visit came when pupils had the opportunity to become young storytellers themselves. Working together, they created an original story and were then given the task of designing the cover of their future book and choosing its title.

The visit was another example of how learning at Savremena Primary School connects with real professions and experiences, giving pupils opportunities to develop creativity, imagination and an interest in the world around them.

Through this experience, the children discovered that books are not only something they can enjoy reading, but also something they can create themselves.

During the presentation, Tamara Simeonović introduced pupils to the process of creating a book, showing them that much more happens behind the scenes than simply writing a story.

The children discovered how ideas are born, how writers develop their stories and why editors and publishers are essential to the publishing process. This gave them an opportunity to learn about different professions in the world of publishing and understand the journey from imagination to a finished book.

Tamara also introduced the publishing house Alegorija, which has published a children’s book entitled “Kraljevstvo dečijih pesama” (“Kingdom of Children’s Poems”). Pupils listened to songs from the book and explored their animated versions, which are shared on a YouTube channel of the same name.

This introduced them to an interesting creative use of artificial intelligence, demonstrating how modern technology can help transform literary content into engaging visual experiences.

However, one of the most valuable moments came when pupils became storytellers themselves. They worked together to create a story and were then encouraged to design its future book cover and choose a title.

Through this activity, the children practised creative thinking, expressing ideas and working collaboratively. At the same time, they discovered that creating a book requires not only imagination but also effort, planning and cooperation.

The experience brought together literature, art and technology, showing pupils how many different opportunities exist for expressing their creativity.

It also helped them appreciate books from a new perspective while inspiring them to explore their own creative potential and understand the process behind every published story.

The Parents at Work project at Savremena Primary School gives pupils the opportunity to discover different professions through visits from parents and learn how knowledge and skills are applied in real life.

Instead of simply reading about various careers, children can meet people who work in these fields, ask questions and take part in activities that introduce them to the realities of different professions.

Tamara Simeonović’s visit demonstrated how valuable these experiences can be. Pupils did not simply learn how a book is produced. They also became involved in the creative process, from developing a story to imagining what its cover might look like.

This is one of the important advantages of education at Savremena. Learning goes beyond acquiring classroom knowledge and connects with creativity, technology, practical experiences and everyday life.

Involving parents in school activities also enriches the learning experience, allowing children to discover the world of work through the experiences of people they know and trust.

Activities like this encourage children to express their ideas more confidently, develop new interests and recognise their own creative potential from an early age.

And perhaps the story created during this lesson, along with the children’s first book cover designs, will inspire some of our young pupils to continue writing and one day create books of their own.