Snīpulītis from Snīpuļciema

Once upon a night, when the air in Snīpuļciema smelled of freshly sprouted grass, in one house a very small Snīpulītis was born.
– Look how beautiful his little snub nose is! – Snīpulītis's mommy said to daddy, and he, nodding his head, whispered: – Such a beautiful nose has never been seen on any snīpul in Snīpuļciema.
A heartfelt story about the growth and discovery of a small Snīpulītis. This is a very special book. At the time when we were still discussing the publication, I read the manuscript aloud to my children (there were no pictures then). After each chapter, they begged for the next one, and when the text was finished, they insisted that I tell the author to write a continuation. The book "grabbed me" with its rhythmic language – it was very easy to read aloud. Usually, when I read out loud, I have to yawn every moment because I run out of oxygen in the middle of long sentences. That’s not the case with "Snīpulītis"; the text flows by itself – easily and freely like breath. But Una Leitāne is an amazing artist. Her illustrations have some kind of magic, I swear! They calm me, create a sense of coziness, confidence, and hope that everything will be fine. And they are so joyfully colorful.
Snīpulītis are not people. Snīpulītis are snīpulītis. They all have small, cute snub noses. Snīpulītis grow faster than people. The Snīpulītis was born in spring, but by summer he was already wandering on his own little legs, although a cat could still easily knock him over. What did he accomplish in his long first year of life? No, he didn’t do anything like that. He didn’t travel around the world, didn’t meet pirates, didn’t frighten vampires. He lived peacefully with his parents and grew up. This is a story about how, by walking around the house, one can sometimes see much more than by running around the whole world. A story or – if you prefer – a fairy tale that helps you stop, calm down, and devote time to the most precious – our children. Yes, I know I have written a lot, but I am ready to talk a long time about this book, and I am convinced that the lovely girl Laura Vinogradova's name will be read on the covers of books again and again, and again.”
Guna Pitkevica, editor