Meet Lille - an unusual dog, Vera and Varya - unusual sisters, Ptichka - an unusual bird (albeit with a simple name). Lille is long, long, the whole street. Vera and Varya are no more similar to each other than a polar day is to a polar night, and they even talk to animals. The Bird is a scientist, well-trained, white and round, well, just a snowball shouting out smart words. Events will develop like a snowball when the news comes that Varya is sick, and then the Bird will have to shout not smart, but alarming words. Vera is sure that everything is to blame for the bead that the sisters stole from the bearded dwarf - scary and ferocious, embroidered on Varya’s dress. What can help the girl? A book written by a famous storyteller from Finland! Put it under the pillow and your sister will feel better! Vera, Lille and Birdie must get to this storyteller, or to Finland, or anywhere to the north - just to save Varya... Anastasia Strokina’s new book is as unusual as its heroes, and as dynamic as the debut story “The Whale is Sailing on north". The latter made the author a winner of the prize named after. V. Krapivina and was included in the short list of the Book Award. In 2017, Compass Guide released her translation of Emmanuel Maisonneuve’s book “Tom of the Moon and the Secret Society of the Great Known.” The publisher’s annotation was cut off. Anastasia Strokina is fascinated by the north, and this time the magical world she created comes to life on the streets and in the front doors of St. Petersburg, in Finland, near coastal cliffs of Iceland and Greenland, and most importantly - in the hearts of readers of both primary school age and adults. “The Pocket Dwarf’s Bead,” with all the abundance of adventures, with all the continuous movement, is a story about learning about oneself. Oleg Braude's illustrations reflect both the adventurous spirit of the book and its unique atmosphere - cold, but still fabulous, with a certainly happy ending.

Publisher's cover