Evelina Daciūtė, Aušra Kiudulaitė. Laimė yra lapė (The Fox On The Swing), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2016. – 48 p.  

This picture book follows the story of Povilas, a boy living in a large city. Povilas lives together with his father and mother in a treehouse. He often walks to the bakery to buy fresh rolls. Along the way, he often meets an orange fox that likes to play on an old set of swings. And once a fox appears in your life, you should be prepared for anything. This is a sensitive story about friendship, generosity, the sadness of loss and the joy of discovery, and about what is most important to all of us, big or small – happiness. The book‘s illustrations are compelling in their use of vivid colours, dynamic compositions and the expressive personality of the fox.

Evelina Daciūtė (b. 1975) is a journalist, poet and writer. Most of her works are intended for children. She has written more than ten books. With Aušra Kiudulaitė as co-author, Laimė yra lapė (The Fox on the Swing) is her best known work. This book has won numerous awards in Lithuania and worldwide, including the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, presented by the American Library Association. In 2020, the author received the Global Lithuanian Award for her contribution to Lithuanian culture.

Aušra Kiudulaitė (real name Aušra Adomavičienė b. 1978) is a Lithuanian artist, graphic designer and freelance illustrator. She directs creative workshops for children, takes part in national and international projects and conferences, and runs seminars for professionals. She also participates in international book fairs and literary festivals. In 2020, she founded the creative collective O! along with Rasa Jančiauskaitė and Ieva Babilaitė. Her debut picture book, Laimė yra lapė (The Fox on the Swing), has won a number of awards. The author has also illustrated the picture book Draugystė ant straublio galo (Friendship on the Elephant’s Trunk, 2017).
Illustrator’s portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/menulisyranulis/

Awards

2019: The Mildred L. Batchelder Award (United States)

2017: Best Children’s Book of the Year Prize (Lithuania)

2017: Most Beautiful Book of the Year (Lithuania)

Selected translations

Armenian: Ճոճանակի աղվեսը. Translated by Nune Torosyan. Yerevan: Antares, 2024

Azeri: Xoşbəxtlik bir tülküdür. Translated by İmanyar Quliyev. Baku: Libra Kitab, 2023

Estonian: Õnn on rebane. Translated by Tiina Kattel. Saue: Päike ja Pilv, 2022

Macedonian: Среќата е – една лисица. Translated by Nina Rudik. Skopje: Antolog, 2022

Polish: Szczęście to lis. Translated by Joanna Tabor. Gdansk: Adamada, 2022

Ukrainian: Щастя – це лисичка. Translated by Vladyslav Zhurba. Chernivtsi: Knigi – XXI, 2020

English: The Fox on the Swing. Translated by The Translation Bureau. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2018

Contact for rights: D.Sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt