Photo by Monika Požerskytė

Evelina Daciūtė (b. 1975) is the author of seven books and mother of four children. She studied journalism and public relations. She started writing while living in China when she would spend the whole day with her children. Realizing that children’s behaviour is more positively influenced by stories which are told to them or read to them rather than by direct morals, she started writing herself. She started with Teddy Bear Adventures (a series of 4 books), then switched to “non-Teddy-Bear” ideas. The picture book Laimė yra lapė (The Fox on the Swing), created with Aušra Kiudulaitė, rocketed her to fame. The book became enormously successful, beating every record: repeated print runs, translations into numerous languages, shows in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda, and dozens of national and international awards. It is the first Lithuanian book to receive the Batchelder Award which the American Library Association presents for the most outstanding translated children’s book published in the United States. 

Laimė yra lapė THE FOX ON THE SWING. Illlustrated by Aušra Kiudulaitė. Vilnius: Tikra knyga, 2016, 48 pp 

This picture book follows the story of Povilas, a boy living in a large city. Povilas lives together with his father and mother in a treehouse. He often walks to the bakery to buy fresh rolls. Along the way, he often meets an orange fox that likes to play on an old set of swings. And once a fox appears in your life, you should be prepared for anything. This is a sensitive story about friendship, generosity, the sadness of loss and the joy of discovery, and about what is most important to all of us, big or small– happiness. The book‘s illustrations are compelling in their use of vivid colours, dynamic compositions and the expressive personality of the fox. 

Aušra Kiudulaitė (b. 1978) is a free-lance illustrator who runs creative work-shops for children. She actively participates in international exhibitions, festivals and book fairs.