Vytautė Žilinskaitė, Rasa Joni. Seneliūkštis (Old Boy), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2023. – 112 p.  

Old Boy is a collection of children’s short stories, compiled by the children’s literature expert Dr Kęstutis Urba. It consists of the author’s most artistic works which are also relevant to contemporary children. They depict everyday situations revolving around a child and create a multifaceted relationship between the reader and the child character. Sometimes it’s sympathy, pity, compassion, at other times – an urge to teach them a lesson or restore justice. In every case, we can feel the author’s kind and loving gaze. She doesn’t avoid painful or problematic topics, such as alcoholism or neglect. At the same time, she depicts situations which make you smile and laugh, where children become too immersed in the roles of adults and get carried away. Whether they revolve around laughter or tears, the short stories share a wonderful writing style. They are true pearls of Lithuanian children’s literature.

Vytautė Žilinskaitė (1930-2024) was a Lithuanian children’s literature icon, one of the most renowned and popular children’s writers with a number of national awards to her name. Three of her books have made it to the list of the hundred most significant children’s books by Lithuanian authors – Kelionė į Tandadriką (The Journey to Tandadrika), Robotas ir peteliškė (The Robot and the Butterfly) and Melagių pilis (The Castle of Liars). In 2008, her novella Kintas was included in the IBBY Honour List. Three of her books have been selected as the Best Children’s and Young Adult Book of the Year.
Vytautė Žilinskaitė graduated in journalism from Vilnius University in 1955. She worked for the popular magazine Jaunimo gretos. Her works have been translated into English, German, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Moldovan, Hungarian, Latvian and other languages.

Rasa Joni (b. 1984) is a freelance designer, creator of animated films, script writer, and artist who has illustrated more than forty books for children and young adults. Her illustrations have won multiple awards in competitions for the most beautiful and artistic books.
Illustrator’s portfolio: https://www.behance.net/info3b70bfa7

Contact for rights: D.Sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt