Ilona Ežerinytė, Marija Rubavičiūtė. Tetulė Liu (Auntie Liu), Kaunas: Žalias kalnas, 2022. – 60 p.  

Liucija, a lovely elderly lady, leads a quiet and comfortable life, until one day, out of the blue, she suddenly shrinks. She becomes tiny enough to fit into a pocket. Her doctor advises her to change her quiet life and do whatever it takes to get into the media – then other people will see her as a big person, and then maybe, just maybe, she will regain her usual height. But Liucija has no interest in this kind of life: ‘If the essential things remain the same, why worry about anything else?’ Of course, the tiny Liucija can no longer do her usual job, and it’s not that easy to find another one. Fortunately, with the help of her nephew, she finds a job at a clockmaker’s where her small height proves to be of huge benefit. Working for the clockmaker, she discovers something even more – love – and slowly, she starts growing again.
The author builds on the ideas and social commentary that she has introduced in her earlier books. Her critique is playful and direct but unassuming: it focuses on people striving constantly to be visible, to appear on TV and social media and put on a show. Meanwhile, what really matters is something entirely different – friendship, love, caring for each other and finding joy in what you do, even if it is a quiet occupation that takes place out of the public eye.

Ilona Ežerinytė (b. 1964) was a teacher of Lithuanian literature and language for many years but is now fully dedicated to creative work. She writes books for children and young adults. Her books have a lyrical, allegorical quality, while her books for young adults feature striking psychological insights, which capture the characters’ growing-up as their lives and values change. Her works have received acclaim from both readers and critics, and won a variety of prizes, including the Pranas Mašiotas Prize for the best book for children and young adults (Sutikti Eidą – Meeting Eidas, 2016), as well as the Book of the Year for Young Adults Award (Verksnių klubas – The Crying Club, 2018) and the Children’s Literature Award given by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Meeting Eidas was included in the IBBY Honour List and translated into Danish.

Marija Rubavičiūtė (b. 1977) is a costume designer, scenographer and children’s books illustrator. She employs a mix of techniques in her creative work, especially collage and assemblage.

Awards

2022: Best Children’s Book of the Year Prize (Lithuania)

Contact for rights: info@zaliaskalnas.lt