Lina Žutautė. Kakė Makė ir dovanų dėžutė (Nelly Jelly and the Gift Box), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2024. – 40 p.  

Nelly Jelly is five years old. Like other people her age, she is full of questions: why do we have to tidy up toys and brush our teeth? Why are we scared of the darkness but the darkness is not scared of us? Why are some people lucky and others not so much?… This is one of the most popular picture books in Lithuania. It revolves around children’s joys and sorrows, and simple wishes such as taking care of a pet or having a dream birthday, as well as less pleasant things – a desire always to be in the lead, and jealousy and boredom, and how to conquer them.
In the latest book in the series, Kakė Makė ir dovanų dėžutė (Nelly Jelly and the Gift Box), the restless Nelly Jelly finds at a flea market a Christmas gift box with twelve small doors. Only one door can be opened each day. Nelly Jelly can’t wait to open them all, but soon feels disappointed. The box contains nothing more than old and seemingly useless trinkets… But is that really all there is? The biggest surprise awaits her behind the final door, where she’s confronted with a riddle and has to create a miracle herself. The book explores the meaning of gifts and giving. The Nelly Jelly picture books inspire children’s imagination and encourage them to find the right answers on their own.

The writer and artist Lina Žutautė (b. 1973) is one of the best known picture book authors and illustrators in Lithuania. The character Nelly Jelly from her book series has become so popular that it has expanded to the stage, TV screens and concert halls. The Nelly Jelly stories are available in French, Latvian, Estonian, Russian, Korean and other languages. Žutautė has also written other books for children and young adults and illustrated works by other authors. In 2010, Kakė Makė ir Netvarkos nykštukas (Nelly Jelly and the Elf of Disorder) was selected as the best children’s book by the Lithuanian section of IBBY. In 2012, the author’s book Ferdinandas ir Pū (Ferdinand and Pū) was awarded the Pranas Mašiotas Prize for the best book for children and young adults and included in the IBBY Honour List.

Contact for rights: simona@nellyjellyworld.com