It’s the birthday of the big wardrobe closet. He celebrates his birthday at night when the guests bring him gifts and they have a wild party. So the parents shouldn’t be upset if the room is in a mess in the morning – it’s not the children’s fault! Jānis Joņevs and Reinis Pētersons’ work is marked by cheerful irony and a sense for the grotesque. The celebrations of the furniture mirror the daily rituals of adults as imagined
and acted out by children.

Contacts: pasts@lielsmazs.lv, www.lielsmazs.lv

The Shammies series is an animated cross-media project for pre-school children about discovering the world with games, fantasies, and wordplay. The Shammies are four curious little beings – Sockie, Mitten, Pillow, and Hankie – who live in a colourful textile house. They already know how to play, but many exciting things are still to be discovered and learned. Luckily, the dear wise Mr. Cat is always around to help. In ‘How the Shammies Swapped the Toys’, the first book of the series, as the little protagonists are swapping toys, they see Yarnball the dog, Button the baby, and a huge tiger appear in their room.

Contacts: pasts@lielsmazs.lv, www.lielsmazs.lv

Kārlis Vērdiņš can sound both ironic and loving when he writes about a family’s everyday life and he will definitely make people of all ages laugh. The main character of this poetry collection is Daddy, but which Daddy is it? The one who stays at home with his son while mom is out at work, or the aggressive driver? Vērdiņš challenges his readers to rethink traditional social roles. 

Contacts: pasts@lielsmazs.lv

Based on an animated film by Edmunds Jansons 

During her winter holidays, the greatest wish of Pigtail, a five-year-old girl, is to learn how to ice-skate . However, shortly before Christmas the arrival of Pigtail’s new-born baby brother turns her world upside down. Grandma comes from the countryside to help, but is a poor substitute for teaching Pigtail how to ice-skate or reading her bedtime stories. So, Pigtail and her imaginary friend Mr. Sleeplessness come up with a plan to send Grandma and Pigtail’s baby brother to the Moon. The book is based on an animated short film with the same title. 

Contacts: pasts@lielsmazs.lv

The novel ‘The Boy and His Dog’ is based on true events that took place in Rīga during World War II. Zigis is only eight years old when the war breaks out. He witnesses his father hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation of Latvia and the relationships people develop under these harsh circumstances. He can’t yet fully comprehend the events and people’s actions, but as he grows older, he takes an active role in his family’s efforts to help these people. Complex questions often surface in young Zigis’ mind. 

Contacts: pasts@lielsmazs.lv

Author: Irma Kalniņa 

This book is meant for the whole family and serves as a guide to basic principles of etiquette and table manners. It introduces the history of etiquette and interesting facts about dining traditions in a way, which is relatable to children. It shares helpful tips for using cutlery, setting the table, eating different kinds of food as well as going to a restaurant or a party.

The Shammies series is an animated cross-media project for pre-school children about discovering the world. The project consists of short films, web episodes and published books. The Shammies are four little curious beings – Sockie, Mitten, Pillow, and Hankie – who already know how to play, but many exciting things are still to be learned: how to share their toys with others, how to behave at the table, and how to take a bath. Luckily, the dear, wise Mr Cat is always around to help.

The series, How the Shammies Learned, will feature five interactive picture books that children can explore with
a special assistant – a talking pen. The pen is a digital device that makes a book not only readable and interactive, but also audible. The Shammies at the Table and The Shammies’ Town look like normal books but are not! When you touch the talking pen to the interactive points on the book’s pages, you hear the voice of Mr Cat, Sockie or Mitten. The talking pen sings the songs from the animation film series Shammies, recites the poems of Inese Zandere, and prompts reader with questions and tasks. The tasks were created by Maira Dobele following the suggestions of educational researchers at the University of Latvia and the University of Tartu.

Contact: pasts@lielsmazs.lv

The Shammies series is an animated cross-media project for pre-school children about discovering the world. The project consists of short films, web episodes and published books. The Shammies are four little curious beings – Sockie, Mitten, Pillow, and Hankie – who already know how to play, but many exciting things are still to be learned: how to share their toys with others, how to behave at the table, and how to take a bath. Luckily, the dear, wise Mr Cat is always around to help.

The series, How the Shammies Learned, will feature five interactive picture books that children can explore with
a special assistant – a talking pen. The pen is a digital device that makes a book not only readable and interactive, but also audible. The Shammies at the Table and The Shammies’ Town look like normal books but are not! When you touch the talking pen to the interactive points on the book’s pages, you hear the voice of Mr Cat, Sockie or Mitten. The talking pen sings the songs from the animation film series Shammies, recites the poems of Inese Zandere, and prompts reader with questions and tasks. The tasks were created by Maira Dobele following the suggestions of educational researchers at the University of Latvia and the University of Tartu.

Contact: pasts@lielsmazs.lv

This poetry collection is inspired by the Odyssey – a journey where monsters look on as children avoid treacherous traps and the wickedness of wizards. In the end, the children make it home safe and sound, bringing their parents the only gift they care about – having them home again. Who are these monsters? They are various common dangers that children need to learn to avoid.

Contact: pasts@lielsmazs.lv