Little Darling and Star Bear

Inkeri Karvonen: Pikku-kulta ja Tähtikarhu
illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Story for every month. In January Little Darling wakes up in the middle of hibernation and meets another little bear from the stars, Star Bear.  Little Darling admires the beauty of winter and then falls back to sleep. In February the forest elf meets freezing fox and gives him a job in keeping the paths in the forest clear from snow. In return the elf gives him warm socks, mittens and scarf.

March is the time for the Blue Cat calls Kitty Lavender for dinner. They fish up gold fish from the frozen pond. They have a magical night as cats in March do.  In April the Moss- men are cleaning up their apple tree house.  In May vole Höntynen is waiting for the meadow elf to wake up the meadow. Mrs. Mouse knows that meadow elf has been frozen in and he cannot get out. Höntynen helps him out and soon the meadow is in bloom.

The bugs will rest with  flower bulbs. 

In June the elf of water plays her flute all through the night and in July the cloud plays with a small boy for many days. In August we learn about the secrets of the river.  In September the catebillar is exhausted about getting ready for winter.  He has found a sleeping place from a fence pole, which guards its sleep.

In October the sleepwhisperer has been fluffing the dirt and ironing the poppy petals for the flower bulbs. Soon the small bugs are welcome to spend the winter. In Novermber the snow lilies decorate the ponds. The book ends with December and the elfs serving animals with food.


Stories about animals and elves and the illustrations are as delicate as the wings of fairies.  I must say Kati Vuorento is one of my favourite illustrators.

Seven coal brothers

Jussi Akkanen 2011: Seitsemän hiiliveljestä
illustrated by Kati Vuorento

The seven coal brothers are coal molecules and every now and then they return to the sky after circulating from plants to many places.  The brothers get into the tree, when there is no frost and the sun is shining.

Now they want to compete. They decide the winner is the one, who returns last to the sky. They choose different pines and then wait.

The first brother's tree was cut down and it was taken to the cardboard box factory. In the end the cardboard box was burned and he returned to the sky.

The tree of the second brother was made into a chair and it too was finally burned.

The fourth brother in the primeval forest,
where people hike.

The third brother ended up as fuel chips creating heat and electricity for the city.


The tree, where the fourth brother lived happend to be primeval forest. The brother stayed there until the tree fell and decayed.

The fifth tree was used to make a house. The fifth brother stayed there for a long time. The tree of the sixth brother was made into biodiesel. We do not know when we are going to see him.  The seventh brother chose a tree in the swamp. The tree fell and sank and is still there.

Photosynthesis

The book also gives examples of other coal brothers, which have been in cows, steam engines and volcanoes. I guess, when the competition was who stayed the longest, it means the longer the coal is tied the better.  Very cute approach to

Grandma's memory runs away

Riitta-Liisa Heikkinen 2010: Mummin muisti karkuteillä
illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Anni and Topi are on summer vacation and they are going to spend it at Grandma's. She is supposed to come and meet them at the bus station, but she is not there.  The kids find their way to her house and she is surprised to see them.

The kids enjoy their first day with Grandma and her dog. The next day Grandma forgets to feed the dog. Later that week Grandma asks the children if she remembered to go to the store or get the mail. The last day Grandma bakes a blueberry pie, but forgets it in the oven.

The kids wonder what is wrong with Grandma, why she remember. Anni suggests that they get her a memory stick, but Topi knows it is for computers. They decide they ask Mom to buy Grandma a notebook and if she asks why, then they tell her.

We all are getting older. In my opinion this book nicely tells about how the kids see the changes in loved ones.  I was a teenager, when my Grandpa started to loose his memory. But he also became jollier, where as my Grandma remembered everything and became bitter. Which one is better?

Stories from music

Silja Sillanpää 2016: Tenho ja Ryske
illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Tenho is a seven year old boy who wanted an instrument for his birthday. He gets a mp3 player (soitin in Finnish means a player or an instrument). Luckily Ryske an elk comes along and takes him to nature to see the instruments people used to make: The shepards clarinet, Liru
Jouhikko
Kannel
Pitkähuilu (from 1 minute on)
Bag pipe
Munniharpu
luikku (at 1:43 minute)




Most of the instruments were used to scare bears and wolves when shepherding in the woods.  This book had new information to me: I did not know that we had a kind of bag pipe already in the Middle Ages.  What I do not understand is, why all the old songs are so sad.  The Swedish traditional songs are much more up beat and cheerful. I wonder, why that cheerfulness never landed on our side of the Gulf of Bothnia? Is it the Finnish stubborness, since the rulers are so happy, we will never be just to spite them?

Kantele was made of Pike's jaw bone according to Kalevala

If you yet haven't heard enough sad Finnish music, here is one more Alhaal' on Allin mieli.

Finnish melancholy at best, even the
long tailed duck (alli in Finish) is felling low.