Fericirea este o vulpe

by Evelina Daciūtė, Ausra Kiudulaite (illustrator)

A fost odată ca niciodată un băiat pe nume Paul, care locuia într-un oraș foarte mare.
El avea un tată, o mamă și o casă într-un copac. Într-o zi, în viața lui Paul a apărut o vulpe.
Și când o vulpe apare în viața ta, orice e posibil!

O poveste emoționantă despre prietenia dintre un băiat și o vulpe, despre ce înseamnă generozitatea, bunătatea și despre sentimentele pe care le trăiești atunci când pierzi ceva drag.
„Fericirea este o vulpe” vorbește despre lucruri importante pentru noi toți, fie că suntem adulți sau copii.
Dar mai presus de toate, ne arată cât de simplă este, de fapt, fericirea.

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

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

[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!

[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).

[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.

[Viktorija| Laisvalaikis su knyga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nors esu skaitytoja, kuri nesivaiko madų, skaitau tai, ką noriu tuo metu, bet kai kada norisi sužinoti ką skaito/klauso mažieji. Būnant su dukryte bibliotekoje, pasiūlau jai ne vieną knygą, kurią galėtume pasiimti ir perskaityčiau namuose, bet ji tenori klausytis tas pačias istorijas, o ir taip retai įkalbu. Tai klausytoja, kuri renkasi knygeles pagal viršelius, tad "Laimė yra lapė" jos neviliojo.

Perskaičiau šįvakar prieš miegą. Buvo pirmoji pažintis su Evelinos Daciūtės kūryba. Tikiu, kad pačios vaikystėje nebūtų sužavėjusi istorija, nors tai yra apie draugystę.

[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)!

[Justina - slaugytoja_skaito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šią knygą skaitėme su sūnum ir mums taip ji patiko! Ir ypatingai ji siejosi ir su mūsų gyvenimo įvykiais - mums teko išvykti ir su visam palikti šalį, kurioje sūnus užaugo. Ten liko jo ir mano draugai, tad atsisveikinimas paliko ženklą atminty. Čia labai gerai mums pasitaikė perskaityti “Laimė yra Lapė”! Tai istorija apie berniuką, kuris susidraugavo su Lape, ir kiekviena diena jiems buvo pilna nuotykių ir mėgavimųsi draugyste. Bet šiai draugystei atėjo laikas nutrūkti, nes berniukas turėjo išvykti. Kas dėjosi po to, paliksiu mažą paslaptį, nes išsiaiškinti turėsit perskaitę knygą, bet ji mums padėjo sudėlioti mintis ir jausmus apie pačių išvykimą ir sūnui lengviau paleisti taip nenoriai paliktus draugus, išsaugant gražiausias akimirkas ir prisiminimą apie juos!

[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.

[Rana Heshmati · Rating 4 out of 5]

دوباره خوانی اش یادگار یک عصر زمستانی سردِ گرم.

[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.

[Ugnė Lukošienė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taio, graži berniuko draugystė su lape... bet kažko ypatingo nepajutome. Sakyčiau gal pervertinta knygelė.

[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.

[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 Girtienė · 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. 🥲😍

[Kam Sova · 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. 🖤

[Sarah 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

[Gita · Rating 4 out of 5]

خیلی دوستش داشتم. باهاش گریه کردم. راجع به بچه‌ایه که با یک روباه دوسته و خوشحالی رو همون روباه نارنجیش می‌دونه، تا اینکه یک روز مجبوره ازش جدا بشه.

[پل پرسید:《همیشه می‌توانم تو را همین‌جا ببینم؟》
روباه جواب داد:《معلوم است که نمی‌توانی. اگر لازم باشد به جای دیگری بروم، خب به آن جای دیگر می‌روم.》
پل با ناراحتی پرسید:《پس من چی؟》
روباه کمی به حرف پل فکر کرد.
《به نظرم تا چندوقت از همین مسیر می‌آیی و امیدواری من را همین جا پیدا کنی. بعد دیگر از این مسیر نمی‌آیی، آن وقت دیگر اینجا و این تاب را نمی‌بینی. اما دیر یا زود، کسی می‌آید که جای من را در دلت می‌گیرد.》
بعد از این حرف‌ها، دیگر هیچ چیز مثل قبل نشد. پل که از راه بلند به خانه برمی‌گشت، آرام و قرار نداشت. نگران بود اگر روباه را آنجا پیدا نکند، دیگر هیچ وقت نتواند او را ببیند. اگر روباه را آنجا می‌دید خیلی خیلی بیشتر از قبل شاد و خوشحال می‌شد.]

بعد خوندنش به نازنین گفتم دلم روباهم رو میخواد. نازنین گفت اگه لازم باشه دوباره میاد گیتا. اگه نیومد یعنی لازم نبوده.

نکته: اصلا شعاری، و یا مثل شاهزاده کوچولو نیست ها!

[Ance Zveja · 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.

[Liva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šī grāmatiņa mani mudināja un turpina mudināt domāt, kas mani padara laimīgu, kur slēpjas manas mazās laimes. Vēl domāju arī, kas veido bērna izpratni par laimi.
Plašāka atsauksme blogā:
http://lalksne.blogspot.com/2019/04/e...

[Xədicə · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Kifayət qədər xoşbəxt olmaq deyə bir şey yoxdur, daha xoşbəxt olmağın həmişə bir yolu var!”


Möhtəşəm tərcümə və mətn idi. Yeni ilin ilk kitabının belə ümidlə dolu bir uşaq kitabı olmasının sevincini yaşayıram. Hər kəsə oxumağı tövsiyə edirəm😊

[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.