Lina Žutautė. Kakė Makė ir Sapnų pagalvėlė (Nelly Jelly and the Dream Pillow), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2025. – 44 p.

About the series: Nelly Jelly is five years old. Like other people her age, she is full of questions: why do we have to tidy up the toys and brush our teeth? Why are we scared of the dark but the darkn 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 to always be in the lead, jealousy and boredom, and how to conquer them.

This is a collection of short stories intended for reading before bedtime. It is based on the artistic world and emotional content of the Nelly Jelly series. The restless Nelly Jelly is getting ready to go to sleep, but suddenly strange thoughts begin to appear in her mind: how much does a rainbow weigh, who styles mermaids’ hair, and many others. Nelly Jelly’s wise grandmother shares a secret from her childhood: a Dream Pillow used to help her fall asleep – she only had to place her head on it, close her eyes, and remember her best dream. The grandmother confesses to Nelly Jelly that her favourite dream is about threads. The author then inventively tells stories about the dreams of characters already beloved by young readers: Nelly Jelly’s Dad and Mum, the Elf of Disorder, the Tooth Fairy, the Fairy Tale Prince, Mamaisa and Nanaisa. The book concludes with advice for parents by psychologist Asta Blandė, titled ‘About Children’s Sleep and Routines that Help Invite Sleep’.

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 theatre 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 adult and included in the IBBY Honour List.

Contact for rights: d.sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt