"My first and last daily thought is devoted to Sarplaninac, and all my free time is in the service of kinology", said Marija Jovanovic, an MD living in Belgium, and a well known breeder of sarplaninac ("Od srpskih planina") and the author of the book about this world - famous breed of dogs. The book "Sarplaninac" (edition De Vecchi), published in the most important French kinologic edition, appeared in the bookstores this summer and filled the void, which existed up to now. Namely, this is the first book about our mountain shepherd dog written in a foreign language.
In an easy to follow fashion, Marija Jovanovic explains in the beginning of the book the origin of Sarplaninac, their distribution in Europe, and then their "relatives", the most closely related breeds on Balkan and in other regions. After the standards, and the commentary on the standard, the author describes very precisely the character of the breed, attaching the greatest significance to the guardian instinct representing the basis for the use of the breed. Marija's professional deliberations are intertwined with true stories collected in conversations with the shepherds in Sarplanina Mountain. "Ljus was a young dog when one night there appeared the wolves. I awoke on time, but did not dare move. I thought that Ljus was a coward, because he was not to be heard. I barely finished my thought, when I saw him jump on the wolf. It felt like the whole mountain moved. That night, Ljus killed his first wolf and became the shepherd dog." The testimony of Safet and other shepherds is valuable because it points to all possibilities of the breed that belongs to the best-known shepherd dogs in existence.
Despite the multitude of technical detail, this book is also addressed to non-professional dog lovers, and therefore includes a host of useful advise regarding the choice of pups, education of the younger dog, and work with the adult dog. The end of the book devotes attention to nutrition, health, and showing of dogs.
The book is illustrated with some one hundred photographs, mainly black and white, which come from different sources, and show not only the most beautiful Sarplaninac, but also those dogs which show some of the very characteristic morphologic and eliminating faults.
Special attention in the book is drawn to a few excellent artistic portraits of Sarplaninac, pencil drawings of Stanoje Jovanovic, prepared very expressively and through a psychological approach to the dog.
In addition to binding, photographs, graphics and drawings, "Sarplaninac" by Marija Jovanovic embodies wholeness and impartiality, leading one to conclude that this is one of the most complete of all the books that were written up to now about our famous race.

Aleksandar Manic

"The prize Grand Award Edmond and Germaine Defraiteur of the Syndicat d'Elevage Canin de Liège has been awarded this year to our secretary Mrs. Jovanovic, for her book "The Sarplaninac" published by the Editions De Vecchi. This book, the product of elaborate and detailed research, and study based on personal experiences in the course of numerous years of working with this most favourite breed, could have been concieved only by an experienced kinologist."

Mrs. Christine Boclinville-Marville