IWONA GIERŁACH AND KOTEK (KITTEN) WŁODEK

The kitten was invented by Iwona Gierłach, but its history actually goes back to the years when the statue of Lenin towered over Central Square and the sweet fragrance of blooming roses wafted over it. In those times, Iwona spent every holiday in her grandmother’s house; years later, she captured these unforgettable memories in a book. Iwona's grandparents were builders of Nowa Huta, so she and her children are Nowa Huta born and bred! She dreamed of Nowa Huta having a hero who would bring residents and tourists closer not only to its history, but also to various interesting places. The credit for the illustrations of all adventures of Kitten Włodek goes to Joanna Styrylska-Gałażyn – a painter, graphic artist and illustrator, also from Nowa Huta. Joanna paints and draws all day long, coming up with stunning characters, pets, doodles, dots and dashes.