Laimė yra lapė

by Evelina Daciūtė, AUSRA KIUDULAITE (Illustrator)

Kartą viename dideliame mieste gyveno berniukas. Jis turėjo tėtį, mamą ir namelį medyje. Vieną dieną Povilo gyvenime atsirado lapė. O kai tave gyvenime atsiranda lapė – lauk visko.

Jautri rašytojos Evelinos Daciūtės parašyta ir Aušros Kiudulaitės nupiešta istorija pasakoja apie berniuko ir lapės draugystę, apie dosnumą, praradimo liūdesį ir atradimo džiaugsmą. Apie tai, kas svarbu kiekvienam – dideliam ir mažam. Apie laimę.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, International, International Literature, Fantasy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2016

About the author

Evelina Daciūtė is an author of children’s books with a a collection of poetry for adults entitled Žuvys fontanuose. Her debut book was a collection of children’s stories Meškių istorijos (illustrated by Rasa Kaper). Daciutė’s book Drambliai ėjo į svečius (illustrated by Inga Dagilė) was nominated by the Lithuanian Section of IBBY in 2015 as the best children’s book and was translated into Chinese, Russian and Greek. E. Daciūtės’s best known children’s book Laimė yra lapė (illustrated by Aušra Kiudulaitė) received the Domicėlė Tarabildienė Award from the Lithuanian Section of IBBY in 2016 for the most beautiful book of the year, as well as illustrator prizes from Nami, South Korea, Sharjah, and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. In 2019, it received The Batchelder Award, granted by the American Library Association for the most exceptional children’s book published in the US which has not been written in the United States nor in English. In 2018, the book was included in the IBBY honorary list for its illustrations, and in 2019, in The White Raven catalogue of the world’s most influential children’s books. Daciutė’s book was translated into English, Chinese, Korean, Latvian, Romanian, Slovak, Estonian, Turkish, Croatian, Western Armenian and Ukrainian, and two plays have been staged based on it by Lithuanian theatre directors.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While in The Fox on the Swing (which is titled Laimė yra lapė in its original 2016 Lithuanian incarnation), I absolutely both appreciate and actually very much love Paul's relationship with the fox, with the latter not only offering to Paul her friendship and a sense of fun, but also much important and delightfully good advice (such as to always keep swinging, which to and for me is basically an essential and necessary message of hope, of not letting oneself get bogged down with and by life and its many small and large issues and catastrophes), I also have found some parts of author Evelina Daciūtė's presented text potentially confusing and as such in need of narrational explanation. For example, while I actually do tend to find the entire concept of Paul and his parents living not in a house but in a large tree both interesting and imaginative, I also have to admit that I indeed equally desire to know the reasons why, that I want the author to tell me why Paul and his family reside in a tree (for it is obviously not because Paul's mother and father are in any manner environmentalists, since his father flies a large orange helicopter and Paul's mother makes and sells pottery wholesale and en masse, and when Paul's parents make the decision to move house, they like typical consumerists deliberately relocate to a much bigger city, move into a much taller tree and that the father's helicopter will of course also be considerably more massive). Now granted, perhaps in the author's original Lithuanian text, the question of why Paul and his family reside in a tree might actually be answered, but in the English edition, in The Fox on the Swing, I for one and personally have definitely found there to be some annoying informational gaps featured (and yes, there being no textual, verbal reasons given for why Paul and his parents are living in a tree really rather frustrating me). But still and even with my personal annoyances at possible (and perhaps even probable) informational gaps in Evelina Daciūtė's printed words, I indeed have found The Fox on the Swing generally sweet and delightfully engagingly entertaining (and yes, even though I would probably generally, usually tend to find illustrator Aušra Kiudulaitė's accompanying artwork too aesthetically garish and cartoon-like for my personal tastes, in The Fox on the Swing text and images do really seem to fit together and to mirror especially with the liberal use of the colour orange in the illustrations a very celebratory and joyful feeling, and that yes indeed, happiness is a big and friendly orange fox enjoying herself on a swing).

[معصومه توکلی · Rating 5 out of 5]

آخ. باز هم یکی از آن کتاب‌ها که نمی‌دانم کجای دلم بگذارمش!
دو بار خواندمش ولی هنوز موفق نشده‌ام برای ارزیابی‌اش در قالب کارشناس و متخصص فرو بروم!

علی‌الحساب بروم چهار نسخه ازش بخرم تا فهرست افرادی که می‌خواهم بهشان هدیه‌اش کنم از این بلندبالاتر نشده!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul lived with his potter mother and helicopter-flying father in a tall tree in the park. Every day he would be dispatched to the bakery to fetch back three fresh rolls for the family's tea. Often, on his return walk, he would encounter an orange fox on a swing in the park. One day, the fox spoke to him, and a beautiful friendship began. Being friends with a fox was a magical, but sometimes challenging experience for Paul. Nothing prepared him however, for his feelings about leaving his vulpine friend behind, when his family move to a new tree, in a new park, in a new city...

Originally published in Lithuanian as Laimė yra lapė, this quirky picture-book was translated into English and published this past year (2018). It won the 2019 Mildred L. Batchelder Award, given by the ALA (American Library Association) to the best children's book (or rather, the publisher of the best children's book) translated into English from another language. Given that this is an award that recognizes and attempts to encourage translation, I thought it was ironic that no translator was listed, on the colophon. Leaving that aside, I was quite excited to pick up The Fox On the Swing, as it is only the second Lithuanian children's book I have encountered in English, following upon the Soviet-era The Sun Princess and Her Deliverer: A Lithuanian Folk Tale . I found Evelina Daciūtė's story quite interesting, and certainly full of many quirky narrative details, but also came away with the impression that it was trying a little too hard to be meaningful. Perhaps this is an issue of translation, and the text works better in the original, but I sometimes felt that there were a little too many "lessons" from the fox, and not enough exploration of feeling. I felt as if I ought to have been more touched by Paul's distress at moving, but somehow it didn't feel quite real to me. The artwork by Aušra Kiudulaitė, on the other hand, was absolutely gorgeous, with a deep, vivid color palette, a lovely collage feeling, and so many humorous little details that increased my appreciation. If half stars were available, this one would be a 3.5, but as they're not, I've rounded up to four, given my overall appreciation for the book. Despite the fact that the story didn't work 100% for me, I did find it inventive, and would definitely read more from this author. I would also certainly pick up any book from this illustrator! Recommended to young fox lovers, and to anyone looking for new and quirky picture-book adventures.

[Arta Brice · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dāsnums ir okeāns...
Vai tu gribi būt okeāna daļa?"

Laime ne vienmēr slēpjas LIELĀS lietās. Un ne vienmēr LIELAS lietas ir laime.
Laime ir draudzēties, lēkāt pa peļķēm, zemeņu kokteilis. Laime ir ziepju burbuļu pūšana, vasaras lietus, vēstuļu saņemšana. Laime ir omes pankūkas un smiešanās līdz asarām. Laime ir būt pašam. Laime ir būt.

Svinīgi paziņoju, ka man pietrūkst ⭐ lai novērtētu to, ka "Laime ir Lapsa" (reti, bet ir reizes, kad uznāk dusma par "nepareizi" iekārtoto vērtēšanas sistēmu)!

[Zuzana Štelbaská · Rating 5 out of 5]

Líšky zažívajú svoje mimoriadne šťastné obdobie. Po dlhočiznej fáze, kedy boli v rozprávkach a príbehoch za zákerné falošnice sa čosi stalo a ony sa objavili na opačnom brehu – na fotkách, obrazoch, aj v knihách sú vykresľované v tom najlepšom svetle. Aj táto rozkošná kniha potvrdzuje trend. Líška tu v žiadnom prípade nie je prefíkaná, ktorá sa zalieča, len aby vás následne oklamala. Líška je šťastie. A to doslova. V mestečku, kde si rodina chlapca Jakuba žije svojim pomalým a vľúdnym stereotypom, sa na hojdačke v parku objaví líška. Jakub, ktorý je obklopený oranžovou keramikou z maminej dielne, ihneď spozornie a zvedavo sa s líškou zoznámi. Stanú sa z nich priatelia, ale len na chvíľu. Jakubova rodina sa musí odsťahovať. Ich nové bydlisko je iné, väčšie, ale aj do neho sa pomaly vracia rovnaký stereotyp a Jakub si tiež hľadá svoje zabehnuté koľaje. Myslí na líšku, ktorá ho v predošlom domove robila takým šťastným a netrvá dlho, kým aj tu nájde svoj park s hojdačkami. Celý príbeh je ako živý sen. Dospelý si v ňom zrejme nájde svoje podobenstvá, ale pre detského čitateľa bude podstatné zistenie, že kdekoľvek sa ocitneme, šťastiu nič nebráni, aby tam už na nás čakalo.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of 2019 Batchelder Award for translated children's book - from Lithuanian. At its simplest it is the story of a childhood house move - but this wonderful book is so much more. It is filled with that special sense of imagination, mystery, and joy that flow through the very best children's books. If I had a child to read it to I would probably give it 5 stars and I would definitely buy it.

Evalina Daciute wrote the story. Ausra Kiudulaite provided the inspired illustrations grounded in a joyous foxy orange. Recommended for ages 2 - 10.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Lithuanian myself, I was so incredibly proud when I saw that the 2019 Batchelder Award was given to a picturebook by a team of Lithuanian author and illustrator! I HAD to get my hands on it ASAP! :) Although I would much rather read The Fox on the Swing in its original language, Lithuanian, here in the USA I could only find a copy in English. Too bad, because I read a couple of excerpts in Lithuanian and the vibe is just not the same when the same lines are translated to English. I wonder how much of the original story's charm is lost in translation... I mean, even the title is different!

Anyways, the story in The Fox on the Swing made me think about its many possible meanings, which is always a good thing. However, I didn’t feel inspired or touched by it at any point, just mildly curious. Also, the fox’s lessons about sharing, different perspectives, or patience seemed a bit forced. In general, there was not much of a story in The Fox on the Swing but rather a string of important lessons one right after another that were told instead of shown.

However, I did enjoy the quirky and vibrant artwork that reinforced a magical realism atmosphere:

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Lithuanian import is an exuberant, gorgeously illustrated picture book best suited for older readers. I loved the vibrant colors, the unique illustration style, and the somewhat heady text.

[Eva Lavrikova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hej, je to o líške, takže sa automaticky stávam prudko neobjektívnou – ale predsa. Šťastie sú takéto knihy.

[Rana Heshmati · Rating 4 out of 5]

دوباره خوانی اش یادگار یک عصر زمستانی سردِ گرم.

[SARAH · Rating 5 out of 5]

داستانی دلنشین درباره دوستی،رویاهای بزرگ و معنای‌شادمانی...

[cypt · Rating 5 out of 5]

viena iš gražiausiai iliustruotų mano skaitytų knygų! istorija - simple, bet turbūt kaip tik vaikiškai alegoriškai tinkama ir graži. o iliustracijos... lapė yra didelė, jos uodegoje telpa pamokymai apie dosnumą, o joje pačioje telpa ir draugystė, ir prasta nuotaika, ir sūpynės.

aš irgi, kai buvau maža, turėjau Lapiną - tiksliau, mano tėvai turėjo. jis gyveno mažose durelėse palėpėj ir jam reikėdavo palikti paskutinį skanų kąsnelį, dar vieną saldainį, + netriukšmauti vakare, kad netrukdytum. Povilo lapė turbūt yra mūsų visų lapės, kurias dabar faina prisiminti ir kurių moralai dabar skamba smagiai, o dar ypač - tokiu blankių spalvų, 2D išdidintų formų stilium.

[Skaistė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smagi knygelė. Paveikslėliai man primena vaikystę ir tuomet mėgtas iliustruotas vaikiškas knygas - tokias, kuriose reikia sustoti ir skirti dėmesio, kad pastebėčiau visas mažas ir reikšmingas smulkmenas piešiniuose. Tik šį kartą jau suaugusio žmogaus žvilgsniu. Pati istorija graži, miela ir turi šio to savito, nors kai kuriose vietose labai jau primena Antoine de Saint-Exupéry mažąjį princą bei jo lapę. Nepaisant to, verta dėmesio knyga.

[Fatemeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

زیبا بود، تصویرگری‌ش هم زیبا بود. 🥲😍

[Tuba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bir tilki ile insanın iç ısıtan dostluğunu anlatan harika bir kitap. Mutluluk bence de bir tilkidir.

"Benim dedem yaşlı ve bilge bir tilkiydi," demişti tilki. "Her şeyin bakış açısına bağlı olduğunu söylerdi. Bir şeye yukarıdan veya aşağıdan, soldan veya sağdan baktığında gözüne farklı görünür. Yani bir dahaki sefere bana akıl danışmadan önce sorunu lütfen bütün yönleriyle ele al."

[Adi Friedlová - Čaro kníh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nádherná kniha. 🖤

[Ms Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightfully odd story! It would be fascinating to read this to kids and hear their interpretation of it.

[Veronika Pizano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Úžasné ilustrácie, ktoré sú vpletené aj do textu. Samotný príbeh nie je extra výnimočný, ale kombinácia líšky, ilustrácie a téma priateľstva zafungovali.

[Анна Полегенько · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це так мило і зворушливо, що словами не передати 😍

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miela knygutė. Su dėmesiu detalėms. Ir išskirtinumo, ir atsikartojimų, kažką atpažįstamo turi. Rekomenduoju.

[Tayebe Ej · Rating 5 out of 5]

بعد از مدتها به یه کتاب پنج ستاره دادم و در عین حال هیچ چیزی در لحظه نمیتونم درباره ی این کتاب عالی بنویسم

[Ance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laime ir kanēļmaizīte,
un skaistas grāmatas bērniem, ko gribas citēt no abiem galiem, laime ir mācīties, ka labāk uzreiz var nebūt, ka jāpagaida, bet laime ir un laimi var atrast - košu, siltu un oranžu - uz tā garākā ceļa un līkākās taciņas.

[Kriste · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book for children, with gorgeous illustrations!

I bought it for my boyfriend's grandson who will be celebrating his first birthday very soon and could not resist to read it. Nice story about friendship.

[O.B.I. Ka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lehce náročnější text k zamyšlení. Asi spíše pro čtení rodiče s dítětem. Takový Malý princ pro menší děti. Dokonalé celostránkové ilustrace, radost si jen listovat.

[Zuzana Dankic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pekne a mile. Krasne kresby. O priatelstve. 😊
Kresby ma zaujali najviac. Pribeh menej, ale bol pekny, aj posolstvo som pochopila ;)

[Ilona Oeselg-Tigasing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pisarani liigutav lugu!

[Melissa Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2019 Batchelder award winning book, “The Fox On the Swing” is a fun-filled picture book about happiness and friendship that was translated from Lithuanian to English. When Paul is on a walk, he becomes friends with an orange fox who teaches him about what makes him happy and what friendship means. The book begins with the main character, Paul, who lives in a treehouse with his mom and dad- they are happy. On his walk home from the bakery, Paul meets a fox and the fox becomes Paul’s friend. The author uses a swing in the book as an extended metaphor and as a symbol for happiness.

I appreciate the wise statements that the fox and Paul’s parents give to him about happiness. This idea is explored in the story when Paul didn’t want to move. When Paul told his father, “but what if we're happy enough already?” His father responded with, “There’s no such thing as being happy enough.” (Daciute, 2018, p. 30). Similar to the fox, Paul learns that happiness is having fun and not worrying about things you can’t control. The fox becomes more of a mentor than a friend as the book progresses. Therefore, this book explores other themes, such as moving and loss. This book lends itself many opportunities for students to engage in a rich discussion and make thoughtful connections throughout the story.

The quirky illustrations and the changing fonts sets the mood for this book, allowing us readers to get a taste of the whimsical messages the author explores. This book would be great to teach about metaphors, sensory details, and key messages to younger readers. For example, in the story, the fox said to Paul, “being generous is like an ocean” (Daciute, 2018, p. 17). Children can think about how an ocean is big and there is a lot of generosity to go around. In addition, this book allows for many stopping points. One stopping point I would use is when the fox said to Paul, “it takes time to know when something is good” (Daciute, 2018, p. 31). Students can make text-to-self connections here about a moment in their life when they had to persevere through something challenging.

I found this book on the Batchelder award winning list and it was recommended to me by my local librarian. This book can be accessed as a digital copy on Youtube or as a hard copy. I recommend reading this book out loud to your students under a document camera instead of using the audio version because the audio read it too fast. I also believe that the illustrations add a ton of meaning to the story, so reading it out loud will enhance discussion and comprehension. Therefore, this book would be appropriate to read for grades 2-3.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

International Book 2- The Fox on the Swing
Written by Evelina Daciute and illustrated by Ausra Kiudulaite, The Fox on the Swing is a quirky and engaging children’s book that follows a boy and his understanding of happiness. The Fox on the Swing was recognized with the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, which is an award that recognizes books that were originally written in another language besides English in a country other than the U.S. but has subsequently been translated for the U.S. Upon reading The Fox on the Swing, I was immediately taken back by the smooth translation into English. If I did not know that this was an international book, I would have thought it was originally written in English. The English translation does not feel like it is missing anything like some translated books feel. The sentences are written very beautifully and quirky at the same time. The sentence length varies throughout the text and even uses complex sentence structures such as adverbial sentences. I think I would use the sentence structure as a mentor text to middle schoolers because using varying types of sentences is truly an art that students need to be exposed to more.

The text does not explicitly feature international or diverse characters. On the inside front cover of the text, the reader learns that the author and illustrator reside in Lithuania, leading the reader to believe the people of Lithuania are featured in the text but this is not directly stated. It features a boy, named Paul, which is a common name in English, his family and other townspeople who are predominantly white. It also features an orange fox. I am unsure if the original translation uses different names. Because of this I would say that the text is culturally generic rather than culturally specific.

Potential uses for this text aside for pure enjoyment because of the quirkiness would be to teach the concept of happiness to any age group. I think this book can be used to teach this concept to younger students as young as 2nd or 3rd grade. Because of its use of symbolism, I think middle schoolers could also use it to investigate the concept of happiness. As mentioned before, the sentence structure and variety of complex sentences make it a great text to use to teach older students how to vary their sentences in their writing for narratives.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd indeed. It flaunts its creativity, for example putting shoes on the fox and making the parents ambiguous. I really think there's something to the fact that mom's pottery is orange, and so is the fox, and so is happiness.

And is the fox really a fox? Or is it imaginary? Or is it a homeless person, or a regular visitor to the park? Is the book an homage to The Little Prince?

Lots for sensitive children to ponder in this little fable about happiness.

At first I thought it ridiculously artsy-fartsy, but then I finished it and gave it another star... and now I suspect that I might think about it some more and give it yet another....

[Jurga nePatyliukais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Čia jau nereikia jokių naujų žodžių ar pagyrimų - tiesiog puiki, išradinga knyga ne tik vaikams, bet ir tėvams.