Indrė Pavilonytė, Martynas Pavilonis. Šikšnosparniuko gimtadienis (Little Bat’s Birthday), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2025. – 32 p.

This warm picture book tells the story of a mysterious nocturnal creature – Little Bat – who has difficulty enjoying life. For his birthday, his friend Raccoon gives him a pumpkin pie. Little Bat decides to save the pie for later and refuses to share it with his guests, even though they are eager to taste it… Only a year later, on his next birthday, does he take out the old gift – now a mouldy pie. What will his friend Raccoon and the other guests do? Will Little Bat realise that joyful moments should not be postponed and that happiness lies in enjoying friendship and life here and now?

Indrė Pavilonytė and Martynas Pavilonis are twins and a creative duo: Indrė writes books while Martynas illustrates them. They are widely known in Lithuania for their successful series, Marmiai (The Marmies). The twins’ books are characterised by themes that foster empathy, a positive outlook on the world, and distinctive illustrations. 

Indrė Pavilonytė (b. 1987) is a children’s writer and communication specialist. She made her debut together with her brother Martynas in 2017 with the book Didžiosios tvoros paslaptis (The Secret of the Great Fence, 2017). In 2019, she introduced the first picture book in the Marmies series, Marmiai. Olis ir dažų kibirėlis (The Marmies: Olly and the Bucket of Paint, 2019), which achieved great success and was adapted for a theatrical performance. Along with her brother, she has published 13 books in this series. 

Martynas Pavilonis (b. 1987) is an artist, illustrator, and graphic designer. His illustrations for Marmiai. Olis ir dažų kibirėlis (Marmiai: Olly and the Bucket of Paint, 2019) received the Cheltenham Illustration Awards in the United Kingdom. He also became the first Lithuanian artist to be included in the prestigious Lürzer’s Archive list of the 200 best illustrators in the world. His works are exhibited in group exhibitions abroad and published in international magazines. 

Contact for rights: benas@booksmugglersagency.com or d.sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt