Finland
176
Dieckmann, Maijaliisa
Luostarin Piritta : Nuortenromaani vuoden 1462 Naantalista (The nun Piritta)
Helsinki : Tammi, 2003. – 205 p.
ISBN 951-31-2810-5
Bridget of Sweden <Saint> – Mystic
– Middle Ages – Convent –
Faithfulness – Friendship
Maijaliisa Dieckmann has a long career as a writer of historical fiction for
children and young adults. This book is published on the occasion of Saint
Bridget of Sweden’s 700th birthday
and describes the Middle Ages and the life in a Brigittine convent from two
people’s points of view: Saint Bridget, the patron saint, and the young
nun-to-be Piritta who was named after the paragon. In the 15th
century, living in a convent was the only possibility for a young girl to
learn how to read and write. Piritta becomes friends with Katariina who is
hiding in the convent and comes from a tragic background. The book, written
with great sensitivity and an aesthetic touch, deals with motifs such as
moral, honour, and a sense of duty. (12+) (Topelius Award; 2003)
177
Havukeinen, Aino / Toivonen, Sami (text/illus.)
Tatu ja Patu Helsingissä (Tatu
and Patu in Helsinki)
Helsinki : Otava, 2003. – [36] p.
ISBN 951-1-18984-0
Helsinki – Guided tour
Together, Aino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen have written and illustrated
several books for children. Their literary heroes Tatu and Patu, two
boisterous brothers, are familiar to many Finnish children. Since they usually
behave in fairly unexpected ways and act differently from other people, the
boys’ home is called »Outola« (a place for strangers). In this volume,
Tatu and Patu visit their cousin Jori in Helsinki. The visit is full of funny
events and at the same time, the book is a guide to all the famous places in
Helsinki that might interest children. The colourful, cartoon-like
illustrations, with plenty of funny details to discover, perfectly complement
the vibrant text. Text and illustrations work well together to form a very
amusing picture book. (8+)
178
Huovi, Hannele (text)
Neuvonen, Kirsi (illus.)
Gepardi katsoo peiliin : faabeleita (The cheetah looking at the mirror : fables)
Helsinki : Tammi, 2003. – 110 p.
ISBN 951-31-2839-3
Fable
Hannele Huovi, a great writer for children and young adults, is
internationally renowned. Her latest book was on the shortlist for the
Finlandia Junior Award. Huovi presents fabulous modern adaptations of fables
with a wise and humorous touch. The animals live their lives just like human
beings do and deal with the same (postmodern) questions such as: »Who am I?«
or: »Where do I come from?« Huovi handles the protagonists’ search for
identity and the relationship between animals and human beings very carefully.
Kirsi Neuvonen’s etchings add an exotic touch to the stories. These tales
are a wonderful read for young adults. (14+)
179
Kallio, Lisa (text/illus.)
Lentävä talo (A flying house)
Helsinki : Lasten Parhaat Kirjat, 2003. – 28 p.
ISBN 951-567-267-8
Multiculturality – Friendship – Adventure
This picture book tells the story of Riku, whose family moves into a new
house. The boy’s deep sadness about losing his best friend results in an
unusual ability: He can make the house fly all the way back to his former home
where he meets a boy who is in a same situation: Hamid desperately misses his
home village in a far-away country. Consequently, the two boys combine their
powers and travel to the moon with the flying house. The book sensitively
describes a child’s grief about leaving his best friend and his familiar
surroundings behind but also shows how children can cope with these problems.
The warm, colourful illustrations aptly interpret the text and radiate with a
tender atmosphere created by the play with lights and shadows. (6+)<>
180
Laajarinne, Jukka (text)
Ruokonen, Martti (illus.)
Madonluvut : matemaattisia seikkailuja sekoiluja (Maths from the far side : fun with mathematics)
Helsinki : Werner Söderström OY, 2003. – 153 p.
ISBN 951-0-27981-1
Mathematics
This non-fiction book about maths is brimming with funny examples and crazy
ideas. Instead of tackling mathematical problems in a conventional way, the
author turns them into entertaining stories that are full of witty humour and
contain frequent allusions to classical children’s literature. Illustrator
Martti Ruokonen offers bold and brightly coloured anarchistic interpretations
of the text. His illustrations perfectly match Jukka Laajarinne’s wild
humour and support her modern, innovative way of dealing with mathematical
problems. This book provides ample proof that learning mathematics and solving
tricky problems can be a lot of fun. (9+)
181
Parland, Stella (text)
Bondestam, Linda (illus.)
Katastrofer och strofer om slummer och stoj (Catastrophes and verses about slumber and noise)
[Helsingfors] : Söderström, 2003. – [56] p.
ISBN 951-52-2101-3
Poetry
In Finland, only very few books can be published for the small
Swedish-speaking minority of roughly 300,000 people. Most of the books in
Swedish, therefore, are imported from Sweden. This book, one of the few
exceptions, creates a crazy graphical spectacle with minimum ado in two
colours (red and black against a white background), resorting back to design
concepts of the 1950s. The poems presented here offer whimsical elements that
have their origin in English children’s rhymes and Lennart Hellsing’s
comic style; nevertheless, they are original enough to exist on their own –
and lend themselves particularly well to reading aloud. (5+)
Special
Mention
182
Syväjärvi, Annastiina (text/illus.)
Siipirikko ei voi lentää (A broken wing cannot fly)
Helsinki : Lasten Keskus, 2003. – [40] p.
ISBN 951-627-445-5
Tampere – Cathedral – Simberg, Hugo / Haavoittunut enkeli – Mural –
Angel
In this book, probably the most famous Finnish painting »Haavoittunut enkeli«
(The wounded angel) by Hugo Simberg serves as the setting for an adventure. A
girl enters the cathedral in Tampere, an Art Nouveau building, discovers the
painting, and climbs into it. After a short ‘excursion’ together with the
angel, the girl leads the angel back into the painting and leaves the
snow-covered cathedral. In her pictures, the artist fulfils the dream of many
a child who wishes to overcome the unapproachability inherent in many works of
art. When the protagonist touches the angel-girl, who usually looks down with
an absent-minded and sad expression, the wounded creature immediately turns
into a friendly, cheerful, and attentive child, while the wounds on her wings
and the head dressing fade into the background as insignificant accessories.
This touching story, which reconciles readers with the inaccessibility of art,
is told in picturesque illustrations reminiscent of
Finnish paintings around 1900. (5+)