JURA REILLY is an Australian-Lithuanian author of three previous novels, each drawing upon stories told by her great- aunts, Irena and Viktoria, who had endured many years of exile in Siberia and her immediate family, who had migrated as Displaced Persons to Australia in the wake of WW2. She has published ""Laima's Lunch / Laimos Pietūs"" as the first in a series of bilingual children's books. Dr. E. (TED) REILLY is a retired teacher and lecturer. Resuming a long-standing interest in art, he took classes in oils & watercolour, and now illustrates his poetry chapbooks and successfully shows at local exhibitions. In 2020 he released a chapbook of satirical cartoons, ""Virus"". ""Lucky Lukas / Laimingas Lukas"" is his second foray into children's book illustration.
By writing Lucky Lukas / Laimingas Lukas in English and Lithuanian, Jura Reilly encourages young readers to participate in basketball and to retain their Lithuanian heritage. We give great credit to this children's book, beautifully illustrated by Ted Reilly, for encouraging these aspirations. Irena Stumbras & Richard Bukevicius (Sydney)