Nordic Classics

The Canine Kalevala

(Koirien Kalevala) Age 5+ | 64 pages | Otava | 1992

The canine national epic is a thrilling adventure and heroic in the true Kunnas style. Long ago, in the far-off land of Kalevala, a tribe of wild and woolly dogs vied for sovereignty of the forests with a pack of wolves.

Who Seized the Sun?

(Kuka kaappasi auringon?) Age 5+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2021

Greed swipes away the beaming sun from the sky. Mauri Kunnas returns to the mythical sceneries of the groundbreaking Canine Kalevala with a new topical theme.

The Wood Mouse’s Dance

(Metsähiiren tanssi) 25 pages | Otava |1990

The Gnome’s Last Journey

(Maahisen viimeinen matka) 32 pages | Otava |1995

Children’s Kalevala

(Suomen lasten Kalevala) Age 6+ | 184 pages | Otava | 2002

©Tommi Tuomi Pirkko-Liisa Surojengin (b. 1950)

is renowned for her delicate and precise illustration style, which charms both children and adults alike. Most recently her books have been published in Chinese, English, German, Russian and Spanish.

Nora Surojengin (b. 1979)

is a graphic designer and a picture book author. She is also the writer of Untu and the Secret Heart of the Winter, created together with her mother, illustrator Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin.

Finnish Animal Fables

(Suomen lasten eläinsadut) Age 6+ | 166 pages | Otava | 1997

Finnish Animal Fables offers a path into the mysterious green world of the Forest Kingdom. It brings Finland’s forest and its animals close to the children of today and reminds us that the forest is our spiritual home, a sanctuary and a seedbed for adventure.

All sorts of forest creatures cavort across the pages of the book: a big, strong bear, a tricky fox, a dour wolf, a quick-witted rabbit and many other rogues

Untu and the Secret of the Heart of Winter

(Untu ja sydäntalven salaisuus) Age 6+ | 104 pages | Otava | 2012

Tiny elf Untu Willi heads north from his seaside hut to unravel the mystery of the light of Christmas. On his way, he encounters a variety of animals and creatures, some helpful and some not so much. Untu is not so easily discouraged, however, and in the end, he achieves his goal. In the glow of the northern lights, Untu meets the father of Christmas.

Untu and the Secret of the Heart of Winter is a beautiful and beguiling picture book for the whole family, illustrated by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin and written by her daughter Nora.