Monika Vaicenavičienė (b. 1991) is a book illustrator and picture book author. She graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. She is a very successful young children’s author whose book projects were noticed and recognized in competitions even before they were published. She has participated in important international book fairs and exhibitions. Her debut in children’s literature was her illustration of a fairy tale by the father of Lithuanian children’s literature Pranas Mašiotas in 2014. Her first original work, a picture book Per balas link aušros: pasakojimas apie daktaro Jono Basanavičiaus keliones ir darbus (Through Puddles Towards the Dawn. A tale about travels and deeds of doctor Jonas Basanavičius) was published four years later. Her poetic picture book Kas yra upė? (What is a River?) followed shortly afterwards. The artist likes watching nature and people; she dedicates her books to the thoughtful and the thinking. Her books are published not only in Lithuania but all around the world: they are recognised as the most beautiful, informative books. She won the Overall New Talent Award at the 2018 World Illustration Awards. 

Vad är en flod? What is a river? Kas yra upė? Broma: Bokförlaget Opal, 2019, – 48 pp. 

This is the second book by the young illustrator Monika Vaicenavičienė, using images to tell the story of life in a river. Vaicenavičienė uses several artistic tools in this picture book – gouache paintings, watercolours, and drawings done in coloured pencil – sup-plementing them with digital pencil work and handwritten text to create a captivating story of images that beautifully conveys a river’s changing landscape and the spirit of a journey. Vaicenavičienė received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and also studied at the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stock-holm. This book was developed on the basis of her Master of Arts dissertation. 

Selected translations

Latvian: Kas ir upe? Translated by Dace Meiere. Riga: Janis Roze Publishers, 2021