Lina Matiukaitė, Lina Žutautė, Laima Zulonė. Ieškok ir surask. Nepaprasta kelionė po Lietuvą (Seek and Find: An Extraordinary Journey through Lithuania), Vilnius: Alma littera, 2025. – 36p.

In this book, the well-known characters from the Nelly Jelly series share their impressions from travels across Lithuania – a country “so beautiful that it leaves one speechless”. The book introduces children to Lithuanian nature, places of interest, traditional celebrations, and various cultural and economic activities, while also helping to expand children’s vocabulary. Each spread contains a strip in the layout with drawings of 14–19 objects that readers are invited to find in the large illustration on the page. Every chapter begins with a few short sentences related to the life and interests of Nelly Jelly’s family, creating a coherent narrative framework for the book. During summer, Nelly Jelly travels to Lithuania’s rivers and lakes, spends time by the Baltic Sea, searches for amber, visits the Amber Museum in Palanga, and watches a parade of ships in Klaipėda. In autumn she walks through the forest with her parents and sees the oldest oak tree in Lithuania, which is more than 1500 years old. She encourages readers to admire Lithuania’s landscapes from observation towers built in scenic locations and to visit farms to observe agricultural work up close. The book also introduces the natural rhythm of the year through traditional holidays such as Midsummer (Joninės), Shrovetide (Užgavėnės), and Easter. Urban attractions are not forgotten either – there are theatres, fairs, and basketball games to enjoy. Nelly Jelly’s family visits not only the Toy Museum but also ancient castles. As proud patriots interested in history and civic life, they even take part in presidential and parliamentary elections.

Despite its modest length, the book manages to present a remarkable amount of information without overwhelming readers with facts. On the contrary, its engaging content and interactive tasks encourage children to return to it again and again. A key role is played by the lively and informative illustrations, which depict numerous everyday and humourous situations. At the same time, the book functions as an educational game that invites readers to observe, explore, analyse, and discover.

Lina Matiukaitė (b. 1992) is a communications specialist and a prolific author of educational and informational books for children. She has published around twenty books introducing young readers to different professions, branches of science, sports, plants, animals, countries, and discoveries, while also offering ideas for engaging and meaningful leisure activities. She collaborates on book series such as Kakės Makės enciklopedija (Nelly Jelly’s Encyclopedia) and Kakės Makės monstropedija (Nelly Jelly’s Monsterpedia), among others. Many of her books have been translated into Latvian.

Lina Žutautė (b. 1973) is an artist, designer, and children’s writer. In 2010 she created one of the most famous characters in Lithuanian children’s literature – a curious five-year-old girl named Kornelija who calls herself Kakė Makė (Nelly Jelly), along with her lively group of friends. The Nelly Jelly picture-book series has grown into a broad creative brand that includes educational books, films, and various other projects created by different authors.

Laima Zulonė (b. 1977) is a graphic designer, layout artist, and illustrator of books for both children and adults. She has also created board games and develops digital content for educational purposes. Laima has illustrated numerous books in the Kakė Makė (Nelly Jelly) series and has published her own children’s book – a poetry collection titled Spalvoti pieštukai (Coloured Pencils), 2020.

Contact for rights: d.sinkeviciute@almalittera.lt