Tomas Dirgėla, Kornelija Žalpytė. A komanda ir didelė kalbanti papūga (The A-Team and the Big Talking Parrot), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2024. – 168 p.  

In the second book of the A-Team series, the young detectives tackle a case about a rare parrot that has gone missing from the city zoo. The investigation is led by the main characters: Adelė, her shy friend Augustas (who, by the way, can talk to animals), and their helpful history teacher, Antanas. This time, one of the detectives’ grandmothers joins in to help, making the adventure even more action-packed. The author maintains suspense throughout the story, keeping readers engaged until the very end: will they finally catch the thieves? Tomas Dirgėla’s intriguing narrative and Kornelija Žalpytė’s expressive illustrations blend traditional storytelling with elements of comic book style.

Tomas Dirgėla (b. 1989) is one of Lithuania’s most well-known contemporary children’s writers, with over 45 books to his name. His works have been translated into 13 languages. Highly popular among young readers, his books have been reprinted multiple times. Since 2016, he has worked as a professional full-time writer. Dirgėla has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Aldona Liobytė Award for the most significant debut of the year (2015) from the Lithuanian section of IBBY, the Children’s Literature Award (2022), and the IBBY Second Prize for the best children’s book of the year (2016). Dirgėla’s books are distinguished by their humour and absurd situations, while always emphasising the importance of love between parents and children, fighting injustice, and gender equality.

Kornelija Žalpytė (b. 1998) is a children’s book illustrator and graphic artist. She is the illustrator and designer of Lithuania’s only literary children’s magazine, Laimiukas. She has illustrated Miškas ir mažas (The Forest and the Little One, 2021) by Monika Kalinauskaitė, The Matilda Effect (2022) by Ellie Irving, as well as Tomas Dirgėla’s Lukas ir Lėja. Istorija apie draugystę (Lukas and Lėja. A Story of Friendship) and Forest Sheep (a children’s book created for the Venice Biennale of Architecture, 2023).
Illustrator’s portfolio: https://www.behance.net/kornelijazd8f6

Contact for rights: D.Sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt