As Estonia marks the 500th anniversary of the first book printed in Estonian, the event featured a special exhibition of ABC-books from many European countries. Each participating embassy and cultural institute presented its own ABC-book to children, showcasing the beauty and uniqueness of their language and traditions. The Czech Embassy was proud to present an ABC-book featuring beloved characters created by the renowned Czech author and illustrator Ondřej Sekora, known from the classic children’s book “Ants Don’t Give Up”. A special connection was made, as the Haapsalu Children’s Library already holds the first Estonian edition of this book, printed in 1959! At the end of the event, all participating embassies and institutes donated their ABC-books to the Haapsalu Children’s Library, enriching its multilingual collection and leaving a lasting gift for future young readers and language learners.

One of the most popular activities was a calligraphy game, where children were invited to write the phrase “A nation begins with a book” – a line from Estonian poet Hando Runnel – in various European languages. This activity not only encouraged language exploration but also tied beautifully into the Eesti Raamat 500 celebrations. Children from different age groups, from early primary school to high school, took part with great enthusiasm and curiosity. There were also exciting prizes waiting for the participants of the game.