
The Emma Press launches second set of Bicki-Books, mini picturebooks for children
The Emma Press has published six more titles in the Bicki-Books series, originally published in Latvia. Bicki-Books are postcard-sized picturebooks aimed at children aged 3+, each featuring a poem and illustrations by different contemporary artists.
Publisher Emma Wright acquired UK rights for the series from Liels un mazs, Riga. The BIKIBUKS series was curated by Rūta Briede, arts director at Liels un mazs and tutor at the Art Academy of Riga. There were 101 BIKIBUKS published in Latvia between 2012 and 2018, with the 101st book released to mark 100 years of Latvian independence.

Wrights said: “The Bicki-Books are the perfect size for little hands, and a great way for children to feel ownership over books. All the illustrations are rich with details, so readers can discover new delights every time they return to the books. They have become instant classics to children in Latvia, and I hope that they will help connect children in the UK with the wider world.”
The publication of the Bicki-Books was made possible through the “Support for Foreign Publishers Publishing Latvian Literature” programme run by the International Writers’ and Translators’ House, financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the State Culture Capital Foundation.
The books were translated by CLiPPA award-winning poet Kate Wakeling and Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini, and Kaija Straumanis. Titles 7-12 in the series include the following:
Each book is priced at £4, and the set of six is available for £20 on the publisher’s website.