Illustrations by Reinis Pētersons

— The ‘Shammies’ project has received several awards in China, Latvia and USA. Films about the Shammies have been selected for 40 festivals all over the world

The Shammies are four little curious 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: 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 project features a series of short films and books. ‘The Shammies’ Morning’ is the story of the difficult jobs that the Shammies have to face every morning: how do you wake up yourself and awake the light? How do you sit down by the table if the chairs feel like galloping and twirling around? Is it better to behave like a sparrow or like a little goat? The story can be published like three separate picture books: ‘How the Shammies Woke Up’, ‘How the Shammies Behaved’ and ‘How the Shammies Sat Down by the Table’.
The first book published in the series is ‘How the Shammies Swapped’ (2011).

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

Three friends – a Swedish horse, a German lobster and a Russian crow – decide to build a house together to live with their whole families. However, it turns out that they have a very different idea of the perfect house.
The illustrations help develop the child’s artistic taste; they are childish, playful and joyful, but never simple.

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

Illustrations by Reinis Pētersons

— The Annual Prize for Literature 2013 for Inese Zandere’s poems

—  The National Book Art Contest Award ‘Golden Apple Tree’ 2013

— Latvian Children’s Jury Award 2013

The book offers a dose of positive ‘art therapy’: by looking at the pictures and reading or listening to the poems, young children can cope better with their fear of getting sick and medical treatments.  The illustrations by Reins Pētersons create a colourful and lively atmosphere, emphasising the element of play and humour in the poems. The hospital, as seen by the artist, is a place where life goes on, a place where there is room for some adventures and friendship.

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

Illustrations by Aleksejs Naumovs

This collection of fairy tales is a wonderful collaboration between two artists much loved in Latvia. Observations of daily events turn into games, tales and contemporary legends in an easy and effortless way, broadening the child’s horizons. The book will suit the whole family: from toddlers just learning to speak to teenagers who love to speculate about life. The book can almost be seen as an exhibition with paintings of a small town and a metropolis with its suburbs, a sea wind blowing over the roofs, summer houses, parks, a castle and an opera house – all these are the places where the eleven fairy tales in this the collection are set.

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

Ilustrations by Anna Vaivare

This imaginative picture book tells a story of a boy learning to play the piano. One may think this is a long and boring journey, but it turns out to be the most exciting adventure in the world, because this little boy’s fantasy runs wild like a horse.

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

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

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