During a recent visit to my school, Arthur Dorros was asked what author he most admired. His reply was that he actually admired many authors, particularly authors like Louis Sachar who wrote Holes, the Wayside School books, and many others, because these authors have been successful in different genres.

Arthur Dorros has written over 30 picture books with titles including Alligator Shoes, Radio Man, Ant Cities, A Tree Is Growing, Pretzels and Elephant Families. Most recently, Mr. Dorros published his first novel. This is an outstanding work for young adults called Under the Sun and deals with ethnic intolerance in war torn Bosnia during the civil wars in that country in the early part of the 90's. During his multiple visits researching the country for this book, he took numerous pictures that he showed my class. He based some characters in Under the Sun on people he met during his visits to Bosnia. Mr. Dorros is currently working on an adult novel. If it is anything like Under The Sun, he should prove to be just like the authors he admires, crossing genres with great success.

Under The Sun by Arthur Dorros is a moving story of Ehmet who lives in Bosnia during their civil war. When his father tries to send he and his mother to a safer place, his mother ends up dying and Ehmet must survive on his own. He hears from a friend that there is a place where orphaned children are living in peace and helping to rebuild a village and their lives. Ehmet makes his way through Bosnia looking for this haven of peace.

Nadomak Sunca is the Children's Village depicted so well in Arthur Dorros' novel. It is located in north-western Croatia, in the Istrian Peninsula. Prior to the years of warfare in the former Yugoslavia, Oprtalj was a largely deserted little town in the Istrian hills. In 1992/3, a small group of people initiated an idea for rebuilding a village in this region that would serve as a new home for children left orphaned by the war. This project has been supported by an international network of people that includes foundations and associations in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S.A. The organization "Nadomak Sunca" (At Home in the Sun) in Oprtalj is now responsible for administering and carrying out the work in the Children's Village.

The Children's Village in Oprtalj has been slowly growing over the years from the first renovated home in 1994 to now five homes housing 9 - 10 children per unit. Each unit also includes new 'parents' who help these children try to recapture a childhood that was devastated by war. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers from a great number of European countries have helped make the village a success story.

The work of Nadomak Sunca is very dependant upon the generous support from individuals and organizations throughout the world. For more information about Nadomak Sunca and its work at the Children's Village please visit www.kinderdorpkuberton.nl/futureplan.php and for information on how you can volunteer or donate to this very worthwhile project, write to:
Children's Village, Att: Arthur Dorros
2033 East Miller Street
Seattle, WA 98112
arthur@arthurdorros.com