20 minute read
Picture Books
Oili Tanninen (b. 1933)
Finnish award-winning author and illustrator, has created over 20 children’s books. Her works have been published in various languages. Her simple, yet bold illustrations in graphic colours make her artwork feel as fresh today as when the first books were published in the 1960’s. Tanninen’s books have been published in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Swedish.
Bean and Ball
(Papu ja Polla) Age 1+ | 28 pages | Otava | 1970
A wintery tale in bold block colours. Bean the snow rabbit and Ball the snowman play in the snow. But when spring comes and rain starts, where do they go?
A retro picture book series originally published only in Japan has been brought to life in stunning Pantone colours. New translations published in Finnish, Korean and Italian.
Hippu and a Friend
(Hippu) Age 1+ | 28 pages | Kodansha | 1976
Heppu and a House
(Heppu) Age 1+ | 28 pages | Kodansha| 1976
Hippu
(Hippu) Age 1+ / 28 pages / Otava / 1967
Beautifully crafted in collage techique, this simple, stylish picture book about little mouse Hippu is a classic.
Misu and a Balloon
(Misu) Age 1+ | 28 pages | Kodansha | 1976
Pommo and a Ball
(Pommo) Age 1+ | 28 pages | Kodanhsa | 1976
Hippu the mouse builds a snowmouse to enjoy a snowy day. Heppu the dog needs a new home when his house gets too small. Misu the cat buys the perfect birthday present for a friend. Pommo the girl plays with a ball but her friend Piko the bird comes to help when the ball rolls onto the road.
Nina Pirhonen (b. 1975)
is a multi-talented picture book author and fashion and graphic designer. She knows her target audience: bold designs and bright colours, whether it is vehicles, animals or a tantrum-prone toddler. New character Leo the Lion has a very personal touch. Nina's latest picture book project is a vehicle series published by Macmillan Children's Books UK.
Kuvittaja magazine
Leo the Lion Says No
(Leo Leijona sanoo ei) Age 2+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2019
Heartfelt and real picture book about little Leo coming to terms with new emotions, learning new skills and pushing his boundaries. Temper tantrums are not always the way to get what you want!
The book was nominated for Rudolf Koivu picture book award in 2019.
Leo the Lion Makes Friends
(Leo Leijona tykkää kavereista) Age 2+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2020
A sequel to continue the series on Leo the Lion navigating his way through growing pains and new experiences – how does one make friends and play with them nicely? Real experiences shine through in this new series on emotional development.
Leo the Lion Faces his Fears
(Leo Leijona voittaa pelon) Age 2+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2021
In the third book, Leo has an exciting day ahead: he is going to the doctors and to a new nursery. At night he can’t sleep. Even though Mom and Dad comfort him and the bright flashlight and monster repellent chase away the monsters, fear remains. Why does one have to be scared when it makes you feel so miserable?
Carl-Otto Johansson (b. 1976)
is the children’s music performer behind the stage name Daddy Donut (Pappa Kapsyl in Sweden). He released his first record in 2012 and has been touring with his unique dinosaur rock ever since.
Ola Lindbom (b. 1979)
The illustrator Ola Lindbom (b. 1979) brings to life the chase and trill in Daddy Donut's test. He is an illustrator and librarian.
Running from a T-Rex
(Jagad av en T-rex) Age 3+ | 24 pages | Rabén & Sjögren | 2022
Daddy Donut is buying a hot dog when an ill-mannered T-Rex suddenly shows up and wants a bite. The best thing to do is to take the hotdog and run, but the T-Rex follows, and a thrilling chase begins. The rhyming text gallops through the pages and the quirky illustrations encourage to play hide and seek with the dinosaur. You can almost taste the hot dog!
Running from a T-Rex is the debut picture book by Daddy Donut, one of Sweden’s most popular children’s artists. Daddy Donut is also well-known internationally and his English language Youtube channel has over 40 million views. Universal Music Group is planning to launch Daddy Donut in Germany as Papa Brezel in the near future.
Susanne Trydal (b. 1981)
comes from Åsa, a small town near Kungsbacka on the west coast of Sweden. She has worked in the publishing industry throughout her adult life. Trydal’s debut book, the first part of the fantasy trilogy about Hallahem that she co-wrote with Daniel Åhlin, was published in 2015.
Ellen Ekman (b. 1986)
is an illustrator and cartoonist, who has created several picture books with other authors and is known for the series Little Berlin. Her first own picture book, Idde och hajen (Idde and the Shark) was published in 2019.
Celebrated Ekman has received numerous awards and prizes including te Albert Engström's Youth Prize, the Stora Pondus Prize, the Swedish Series Academy's Adamson Statuette and the Rosenström Culture Prize.
Do You Dare, Stella?
(Är du rädd, Stella?) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Rabén & Sjögren | 2022
Stella's big sister Agnes is going to babysit for a couple of hours while their mom and dad are away on a parent-teacher meeting. Agnes is not so interested in playing, but Stella wants to build a pillow fort and after a bit of nagging, her big sister helps. When the magnificent fort is done, Stella and Agnes turn down the lights and collect all their stuffed animals inside. But suddenly, Agnes looks cunning and wants to tell ghost stories, if Stella dares! Stella does dare, at least a little bit. But who is most scared, really?
Do You Dare, Stella? is the stand alone follow up to Watch out, Stella! The series portraits sibling relationships at both best and worst in a funny and loving way.
Watch out, Stella
(Se upp, Stella) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Rabén & Sjögren | 2021
A warm and humorous portrayal of sibling rivalry and affection, but also a poignant depiction of how children deal with their inner fears.
Stella is five years old and has the world's best big sister. Agnes is cool, older and stronger, and she already goes to school. But when their mother says that Stella must visit the eye doctor, jealous Agnes tricks her little sister into thinking that she's going blind. The following night worried Stella cannot sleep, and the next morning she decides to practice being blind. Moving around in her daily life at home and daycare with her eyes closed turns out to be a challenge.
Ninka Reittu (b. 1982)
is an award-winning author-illustrator, she is based in Liperi, Eastern Finland where she lives in an old vicarage in the beautiful Finnish countryside together with her family.
Reittu imbues both images and text with a uniquely heart-warming air. Her heartfelt Super-series on a father and son relationship has been nominated for various awards. Her book You Are Super Loved (Sinä olet superrakas) was nominated for Finlandia Junior in 2017. Her books have been translated into ten languages to date.
Tully and Roly’s Night in the Treehouse
(Pulla Vehnänen ja yö puumajassa) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2022
Tully and Roly are tired of the grandmothers always telling them what to do. They want to decide for themselves, and the tree house at the back of the yard is a great place to try an independent life. But when the evening gets dark, independent living no longer feels so intriguing. Fortunately, the grandmothers start to understand that even children and ponies need to be able to have their say too.
Tully and Roly the Pony is a charming new picture book series about friendship, understanding and accepting one for who they are despite the differences. The thoughtful narration is combined with vivid and bubbly illustrations.
Tully and Roly the Pony
(Ystäväni Pulla Vehnänen) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2021
Little Tully lives on a cosy farm together with her grandmothers and dreams about having her very own pony. When she encounters Roly at the nearby stables, she is convinced that this is the pony of her dreams. But suspicious Roly isn’t as sure and turns out to be as snappy and saucy as Tully herself. How will the two find common ground and ever understand one another?
You Are Super Loved
(Sinä olet superrakas) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2017
Father and son share amazing adventures to find out what love is. Will it last if you are silly, or if you say no? Can super-love scare away monsters? And even if you travel to the end of the world, will love stretch all the way? Illustrated in a whimsical comic book style, this tender story about the superpowers of love is for fathers and sons and the superheroes of life everywhere.
My Super Bellybutton
(Oma rakas supernapa) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2018
Father and son share amazing adventures to find out what love is. Will it last if you are silly, or if you say no? Can super-love scare away monsters? And even if you travel to the end of the world, will love stretch all the way?
I Feel Super!
(Silloin kun on superolo) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2019
In the third book of Super-series, the father and son in superhero capes talk through emotions, what makes them happy and how to make others happy, too. We all wake up on a bad mood sometimes but little by little we can turn the mood around and think positive thoughts and do small good deeds. That is when you feel super! Happiness shines through as a smile, and just like yawns – smiles are infectious.
Jani Toivola (b. 1977)
is a Finnish actor, director and author who has worked in the media industry since the early 2000s. He was the first elected black MP in Finland.
Previously, Toivola has written two books about personal identity and parenting. Boy in the Red Skirt is his first children’s book, which he hopes would speak to everyone and remind them that there are no rules, and your own story can change the world.
Saara Obele (b. 1984)
is an illustrator and a graphic designer living in Espoo, Finland.She studiesVisual Communication Design at Aalto University. Sheloves bright colours, patterns, flowers, yoga, swimming and reading illustrated stories with her kids.
Boy and the Skirt is her debut picture book. In JaniToivola’sstory, she was drawn to its ability to raise different emotions as well as its diverse characters.
Boy in the Red Skirt
(Poika ja hame) Age 5+ | 40 pages | Otava | 2021
Boy in the Red Skirt is a brave story about the importance of being true to yourself and celebrating individuality. Told from a child’s perspective with an autobiographical voice, the book tells a story about Ronnie who can’t resist the red skirt that glimmers in his mother’s cupboard. He is aware that the world is divided between girls’ and boys’ things but who is to say that it should be?
Boy in the Red Skirt is author Jani Toivola’s first children’s book. The uplifting story is brought to life by rising Nordic talent, debut illustrator Saara Obele’s lively and beautiful artwork.
Boy and Butterflies in his Tummy
(Poika ja perhostunne) Age 5+ | 40 pages | Otava | 2022
In the sequel to the well-received Boy in the Red Skirt, Ronnie's summer plans change when grandma takes him for a holiday in the countryside. Ronnie meets Timo, who makes Ronnie feel as if he has butterflies in his tummy.
An honest picture book about first crush.
Johanna Lestelä (b. 1984)
is an author who works as a teacher and understands her young audience. Fresh illustration style and funky colours make this new series stand out.
The praised Tuikku series on first experiences presents everyday worries in a relatable way.
Tuikku Dares
(Tuikku uskaltaa) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2021
Tuikku dreams about playing football but hesitates when Mummy enrols her on a football class. What if she isn't good enough? Does she even dare to try? Friendly neighbour and football enthusiast Lucky knows just what to say and encourages Tuikku to step on the field.
Tuikku's Bedtime
(Tuikku ja pimeän mörkö) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2020
It’s time for bedtime but Tuikku's toys all over the place. Mummy tells her to clean up but Tuikku gets upset. When her bedtime routine is finished, another worry raises its haid. Luckily, Mummy knows the tricks for overcoming the fear of the dark.
Tuikku and the Grumpy Day
(Tuikun tärkeä tehtävä) Age 3+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2019
Tuikku is a three-year-old who has something heavy on her mind after a day at the nursery. The worry sits in her tummy and Tuikku must confess to her mummy that she has been mean to her best friend at nursery. Estelle must apologise to her friend.
Katri Kirkkopelto (b. 1966)
is an award-winning artist, illustrator and art teacher who has a special talent for tailoring serious content to appeal to young children. She works closely with schools on material on emotional development. Her books support the child’s emotional and self-regulating development, and they have been translated into Dutch, Estonian and Russian to date.
The Blue series for little ones deals with daily matters that any family can relate to. With less text and underlined message, the series introduces the relatable character of Blue to the smallest readers in the family. By shaking, flipping, and gently patting the pages of the book, surprising things happen on the next page. The topics deal with bedtime tantrums, picky eating and getting a cold.
Blue and the Silly Sickness
(Molli ja pöpi pipi) Age 2+ | 24 pages Lasten Keskus | 2022
Blue’s Bedtime Fit of Laughter
(Mollin iltahepuli) Age 2+ | 24 pages Lasten keskus 2020
Blue and the Green Pea
(Molli ja hirveä herne) Age 2+ | 24 pages Lasten keskus | 2020
Blue and Mysterious Messy
(Molli ja salaperäinen Suttu) Age 3+ | 40 pages | Lasten keskus | 2021
Blue and Mysterious Messy is a cheerful and touching story about the importance of privacy, different habits, the challenges of living together and the line between selfishness and selflessness.
Blue loves his home but strange things keep on occurring. Things are misplaced, objects are falling off the shelves, and messy little footprints appear here and there.
Together with his friend Little Pluck, Blue bravely attempts to solve the mysterious events and ends up on a bit of an adventure.
Blue
(Molli) Age 4+ | 34 pages | Lasten keskus | 2016
Blue is a warm-hearted story about friendship and loneliness, longing and determination, told with compassion and humour.
Blue and the Strange One
(Molli ja Kumma) 4+ | 36 pages | Lasten Keskus | 2018
As Blue and her friend Little Sisu try to find the answer to The Strange One’s secret they are forced to reflect on fear, bravery and prejudice.
Blue and the Edge of the World
(Molli ja maan ääri) Age 4+ | 40 pages | Lasten Keskus | 2019
Blue’s world consists of her house and garden. Blue feels safe there but recently she has been drawn to the mysterious forest behind the stone wall. “Pyjamaclowns are not allowed inside!” Piki stands baffled outside the club-house with a superhero cape around his shoulders. His new-found nursery friends are not allowing him to join after all, but instead slam the door in front of his nose. At home the tears fall.
Piki is a story about bullying, recurring in a group, building confidence, emotions and friendship. It was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize in 2016.
Piki’s Stormy Day
(Piki ja pöljä päivä) Age 4+ | 32 pages | Lasten Keskus | 2020
Piki feels small and lonely at nursery, and to hide it he decides to be Storm – the wildest superhero who is not afraid of anything. But as Storm, you don’t play smoothly with others, you have to quarrel, and your anger just gets worse. With cuddles, kind words and saying sorry, Storm disappears. The second book in Piki series is a moving story about group challenges, feelings, self-esteem, and friendship.
Piki - Why can't I Join in?
(Piki - Minäkin haluan mukaan) Age 4+ | 32 pages | Lasten Keskus | 2016
Johanna Lumme (b.1990)
is an artist and illustrator, who is recognised for her illustrations in Finnish primary school books in collaboration with Siri Kolu. The Jungle Crew is her debut picture book. Johanna is also an illustrator of a new middle-grade series Wild House (see page 39).
Pressing themes of climate change and migration are depicted gently in this picture book series that follows three friends who escapes from their home in the jungle to the big city. Each page is if filled with stunning illustrations, that bring to life all the wonders and quirkiness of the jungle citizens as they make their way in a new neighborhood. The Madagascar style adventures leads into discussion about adapting into new surroundings and new beginnings.
The Jungle Crew – Into the Deep Blue
(Viidakon väki ja ihmeellinen sininen) Age 5+ | 40 pages | Otava | 2021
Stripe the Zebra feels out of place in school and escapes to the beach where he encounters a troubled turtle stuck in plastic waste. Realising his new friend needs help, he launches a clean-up operation together with his class and the rest of the Jungle Crew.
The Jungle Crew – The Secret of the Garden
(Viidakon väki ja puutarhan salaisuus) Age 5+ | 40 pages | Otava | 2020
The Jungle Crew’s adventures in the big city continue in this captivatingly colourful sequel as the animal refugees adapt to a new life and encounter new acquaintances in the busy city streets.
The Jungle Crew – into the City!
(Viidakon väki ja suuri muutto) Age 5+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2019
Stripe the Zebra, Giraffe and Mama Hen live a good life in the jungle until natural disasters force them to leave. They end up in a big city with high buildings instead of tall trees. Together they start build a new house that will feel like home.
The Jungle Crew – The Sprouting Rebellion
(Viidakon väki ja versova kapina) Age 5+ | 40 pages | Otava | 2022
The children of the Jungle Crew are worried: the city has so little greenery that the insects have nowhere to live. They decide to face the problem head on by planting seed-bombs all over, and soon the whole city sprouts into an impenetrable jungle! However, it's not until the children start working together with the adults that the city becomes comfortable for everyone to live in.
Fearless Field-mouse
(Peloton peltohiiri) Age 5+ | 48 pages | Otava | 2019
A charming story about a fieldmouse who reads stories about great adventures and fearless knights but who in reality is a bit scared of everything. Universal themes of courage and self-belief with an unexpected but relatable main character are brought to life in the seemingly classic but quirky illustrations.
This is the first of the stories about the fearless field-mouse.
Aleksi Korpela (b. 1986) and Meri Korpela (b. 1990)
shares a background in art and design: they are artists, sculptors and graphic designers. Meri writes the stories and Aleksi illustrates but they share the creative process and work on the details together.
Fearless Field-mouse Raises to the Challenge
(Peloton peltohiiri - Kaksintaistelu) Age 5+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2020
The adventures of the charming and well-intentioned field-mouse continue in this sequel.
He ventures along forest paths with a friend and they end up on the doorstep of the terrifying beetle who has terrorized the family of grasshoppers for centuries. But the question is who is the bravest hero of all: The one who is fearless or the one who overcomes his fears?
This storybook offers gentle encouragement to young readers with themes of courage, selfknowledge, overcoming fears and standing up for others.
Fearless Field-mouse and the Nut Whack
(Peloton Peltohiiri ja pähkinätäräys) Age 5+ | 32 pages | Otava | 2021
Fearless Field-mouse continues to adventure in the third book of the enchanting picture book series. This time the furry little hero faces the most difficult challenge of his life: how to stop the lizards fighting? Will our red-caped hero find the courage to complete a brave act?
Universal themes of courage and self-belief with an unexpected but relatable main character are brought to life in the seemingly classic but quirky illustrations. The detailed artwork is a beautiful visual invite to the world of Van Gogh and Wes Andersen films, both inspirations reflected in the illustrations.
Linda Bondestam (b. 1977)
is one of the most celebrated illustrators of her generation and she has collaborated with numerous authors in Finland and abroad, most notably with Ulf Stark. Linda has been sitting on chair number 11 in the Swedish Children’s Book Academy since 2019. She has been nominated for a number of prizes for her vivid and playful illustrations, including the ALMA award, the August Prize and Finlandia Junior. She has won the Swedish Picture Book of the Year in 2016, the Nordic Council Prize in 2017 and was awarded the Family Initiative Prize for working in an admirable way for social security and increased well-being in families on a sustainable basis. Most recently, her works have been translated into Danish, English, Finnish, Italian, Latvian and Norwegian.
My Life at the Bottom
(Mitt bottenliv) Age 4+ | 42 pages | Förlaget M | 2020
Good Night Earth
(God natt på jorden) Age 3+ | 40 pages | Förlaget M | 2018
An enchanting, surprising and touching story about climate change told by the voice of an astonishing and rare axolotl, how the environment is affected, and changed. Beautifully detailed illustrations depict the wonders of the underworld.
An axolotl is a small smiling amphibian that lives its entire life at the larval stage, which means that it never really grows up. In this picture book we possibly meet the last of its kind as he thrives in his own pool enjoying his life beneath the waves. But as it gets hotter, the pool gets cloudy, and everyone moves on. Poor axolotl is left all alone. One day a giant wave sweeps away everything, and the axolotl embarks on a journey to the great unknown. English edition comes out in spring 2022. From the savanna to the city to outer space, this book offers a charming peek at the many ways we settle in for sleep, with gorgeous, dreamlike illustrations full of offbeat humor.
Linda Bondestam’s debut as a picture book author is a beautiful bedtime story that stands out with its visual storytelling, illustrations full of wit and tenderness, distinctive choice of colour, a dash of humour, varied landscape, and surprising species. Die-cut pages invite little ones to discover how all kinds of creatures find peaceful and playful ways to end the day. English edition published spring 2021.
