Audra Baranauskaitė, Lina Itagaki. Nukas (Nukas), Vilnius: Tikra knyga, 2021. – 33 p.  

This book has two of everything: two authors, two sub-titles, two different sides it can be read from, and a boy who has two characteristics: sometimes he can’t hear, at other times he can’t see. One of the sides tells the story of Nukas, who can’t see. It is called Nukas, arba kas kutena ausį (Nukas, or What’s Tickling My Ear?). Once finished, the book should be turned upside down to read the story on the other side, called Nukas, arba pašnibždėk man į akį (Nukas, or Whisper in My Eye). Both are equally fun, and sure to be favourites of the youngest readers. Nukas’ inability to hear or see results in various kinds of misunderstandings, but all of them are laughed away, because Nukas’ family accept him just the way he is – even though he can’t hear or see. The book is visually very pleasing, illustrated by one of the best Lithuanian illustrators Lina Itagaki, and features a beautiful balance between the text and the pictures.

Audra Baranauskaitė (b. 1957) is a journalist and writer. Nukas is her fourth children’s book. Her book Pelikanas Pranas ir taksas Antanas won the Lithuanian Section of IBBY award for the best children’s book in 2014.

Lina Itagaki (b. 1979) is an illustrator, comic book creator and a flamboyant personality. She graduated in economics in Japan as well as in graphic design at Vilnius Academy of Arts. She is actively working and participating in exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. The artist’s debut illustrated book, Sibiro haiku (Siberian Haiku, 2018), received international critical acclaim, including the German Children’s Literature Award in 2021. She illustrated Audra Baranauskaitė’s book Nukas, which was selected as the best children’s picture book in the same year. Her historical comic book Grybo auksas (Grybas Gold, with Rasa Grybaitė) received an IBBY nomination as one of the best books for children and teenagers of 2021. The Girl with a Gun won the Lithuanian Publishers Association Prize for the best illustration of the year in 2023.
Illustrator’s portfolio: https://linaitagaki.com/

Selected translations

Croatian: Zvonko. Translated by Mirjana Bračko. Zagreb: Ibis grafika, 2023

Slovenian: Tinček. Translated by Klemen Pisk. Ljubljana: KUD Sodobnost International, 2023

Contact for rights: daiva@tikraknyga.lt