Moksu's shop

Annukka Kiuru 2018: Moksun paja
illutrated by Sirkku Linnea

Moksu is a bunny, real cotton, filled with straw. One day he is forgotten at the fair. He gets frightened and runs to a near by forest and sees a door in a rock wall. He knocks on the door, but nobody answers. Only Mr. Longlegs is sleeping in his web.

When Mr. Longlegs wakes up, he cannot remember, where the previous owner, the witch has gone. Mr. Longlegs says it is his time to see the world and he leaves the the hut to Moksu.

When Moksu is picking up  nettle to make soup, he meet two mice: Heka and Tahmo, who had fallen off the roller coaster. Moksu invites them for a soup. Tahmo's arm is almost cut loose. Moksu finds some needle and thread and Heka says he can sew.
Tahmo is cobbler and Moksu has fixed many toy cars. Together they set up shop.

Their first customer is a Mercedes, which they hound in the ditch without back tires. Moksu fixes him. He is old and does not want to be played anymore, so he decides to stay and drive the mice to the fair. If they don't see any toys to fix, they gather supplies: pins, scarfs, gloves  and other things that could be used.

Moksu was also a tv series, but is no longer in air and I couldn't find any of them online.

Mimmit and the folks of water

Pauliina Lerche: Mimmit ja veden väki 2014
illustrated by Meri Mort

Fourth book to the Mimmit Series.  The others already covered autumn, winter and spring so now is summer's turn.

The story starts when the girls (Mimmit) rescue a ringed seal cub from a fishing net. To show his apreciation, the grandpa ringed seal turns the girls to small fishes.

As fishes the girls dive into the lake and meet a meermaid Malanja, who is lost and wants to go back to the seal. The girls help her and meet all kinds of creatures in the lake.

Mimmit swim as fish with mermaid Malanja.

Mimmit can also bee seen in Mimmikoto childredrens program Mimmikoto.

Father's son

Leevi Lemmitty: Isän poika 2010
Illustrations: Jukka Lemmetty
based on a 3d computer animation.


Mouse family lives in a leg of a grand piano. Father has been a boxer in his youth, now he tunes pianos. His son wants to be a ballet dancer and his father is a bit dissapointed.



One day a huge black cat captures Father Mouse and Son Mouse has to do something about it. It turns out that ballet and boxing have something in common.


Cute story about how parents want to fullfill their dream through their kids and how it always pays off to be true to your self, which isn't always easy.   And I guess every child wants to make their parent proud. I haven't seen the animation, but at least as a book the story works.

More about Isän poika.

Rölli

Rölli's heart book cover

Allu Tuppurainen

Rölli is a troll like creature that lives alone in a forest. He spends his days wondering odd things in the world aan especially the odd behavior of humans.Rölli wants to be mean and evil, but it doesn’t quite work out. In his heart Rölli wants no harm. Rölli was created by Allu Tuppurainen and he had a tv show in Pikku Kakkonen. TV series Rölli was aired in 1986-2001.

Mr. Allu Tuppurainen has said that rölli isn’t a troll, but a blend of human and troll, a rölli. In the tv series Rölli sings a song related to the theme he is talking about. My favorite is “Omituisten otusten kerho” (Club for weird creatures). In this club everyone is welcome: if someone calls you a potato nose, or fat belly, join the club. The lyrics say that any physical feature can be considered weird by someone. And that you shouldn’t worry about it, just be you.

Rölli fishes in tv-series

 In 2007 was released an animated film, which main character was Rölli. This was a third film of Rölli and a first animated Rölli film. In the first two films, Allu Tuppurainen played the part of Rölli. In this animated film, Allu Tuppurainen gave voice to Rölli.








Pekka Lehtosaari 2007: Röllin sydän 
(Rölli's heart)
Illustrated by Janne Kopu and Kari Korhonen

Rölli's heart illustration

In this film, Rölli is a troll and he lives near rölli village. Rölli is just like every other lodger at Rölli Village: he likes pranks, making a mess and mischief and hates washing up, kissing and everything pretty. When he runs into a delightful and good hearted gnome girl Milli, he makes a new kind of a friend. The gnome forest is about to turn into stone and the only way to save the forest is to get a magical heart of Understanding from Winterland. In the film gnomes and röllis are total opposites and the adventure requires Rölli and Milli to work together.

 The animated Rölli is a bit different from the Rölli in the tv-series. In my mind they are two different characters, even though the creators of the animation tell that the film was made in the spirit and philosophy of the original films. I guess they couldn’t make a animation about Rölli talking to the audience and the animation film works well on its own.

Rölli's cottage in tv series

 Four Rölli films have been made this far. The two newer include many character in the rölli village.

In Powerpark, Tervajoki is Wonderland (Satumaa) based on the Rölli characters.

Rölli was selected most beloved fictional Finnish character (Satusuomalainen) in 2006.

Niko reindeer

Niko cover

Hannu Tuomainen:
Niko - A way to the stars 2008
Niko 2 - Little Brother, Big Trouble 2012


Niko - A way to the stars
Niko is a young reindeer who lives with his mother. His father is supposedly one of the "Flying Forces", Santa's flying sled reindeer. Niko is trying to fly, but he cannot. His best friend, a flying squirrel Juuso is also a father figure to him. Niko decides to go visit his father at Korvatunturi, where Santa Clause lives. Juuso follows him. They save a weasel Wilma, who helps them find to Korvatunturi.

Wilma the weasel

On their way they run into Black Wolf, who wants to eat the Flying Forces. Niko escapes the wolf several times and the wolf gets mad. He wants revenge. Niko meets up his father and learnes to fly.

Niko 2 -cover

Niko 2 - Little brother, Big Trouble
In the second book, Niko's mother has met a new guy, who also has a son, Jonni. Jonni admires Niko, but Niko wants nothing to do with Jonni. Mostly, because Niko still wishes his father would come back to them. Niko wishes Jonni would disappear. So he does, the eagles take him. Niko goes after him.



The scenery in both books (originally in the movies) are very familiar, since they were inspired by Lappland. One thing bothers me. I konw it is a fairy tale, but in Finnish stories the Santa's reindeer never fly. That is totally anglo saxon mythology. Then again the story wouldn't be as exciting if the reindeer do not fly.

Kössi the Kangaroo

Heikki Prepula, 2012:
Kössi the Kangaroo and train
(Kössi Kenguru ja juna)

Kössi goes to the beach to see his friends: Masa the mole, Anselmi the space monkey, Allu the alligator and Sasu the rhinoceros. On his way he bumps into a train that makes funny noises.



















Heikki Prepula, 2013:
Kössi the Kangaroo and flying fish 
(Kössi Kenguru ja lentokalat)

 Anselmi the space monkey has landed on a tiny island. Kössi with the rest of his friends decides to rescue him.

Kössi the Kangaroo is a Finnish animation that was aired in 1968-1978 by YLe. Here is a link to the 2D animations. Later on came a few more episodes. The creator, Heikki Prepula made the animation all by himself. The books are illustrated in the same style.

Noksu

Noksu kulkee ja keksii -cover

Mikko Kunnas: Noksu kulkee ja keksii 2013

Noksu riding a tractor

A platypus named Noksu and his bee friend Nuppi have eaten all their strawberry jam. They want more and know that Maikki the Beaver has cupboards full of strawberry jam. Off they go.

The journey almost ends before it even starts, when their bike gets a flat tire. After this there is several other pumps in the road. The resourceful Noksu finds away and in every spread the travelers get to ride with a different vehicle: bike, racecar, train, airplane, motorcycle, tractor and a canoe.


In Noksu’s bag is a solution for all troubles. Maikki is waiting for them with pancakes. Noksu and Nuppi take a hot air balloon back home, but they have too much jam. This book introduces the smallest readers to different vehicles and how ingenuity and helpfulness smooth the way.
There are other Noksu books drawn with this comic stylel:
Jopas sattui, Noksu
Noksu auttaa
Noksu ja päivän sää

Noksu as seen in Pikku Kakkonen

Heidi Laine: Noksu ja ystävät 2012
Based on characters by Mikko Kunnas
This book introduces Noksus friends:

Päivi -known as Maikki in the other book is a beave, Nupi is a bee,  Rouva Kana is hen and Vauveli is her baby, an egg.
Tohtori Oiva  is gorilla, Julli is a goat and Kari is an old crocodile.

Noksu and his friends

Pearl - Hertta

Pearl plays hockey

Niina Veittikoski: Pearl aka Hertta in Finland books
Hertta is a girl that is interested in the world a round her. All books are written in rhyme. In the series of books, Pearl plays hockey, bakes, brushes teeth, has a puppet theatre, wants a pet and is waiting for Christmas.

Pearl has two special friends Aivo and Tollo (Brain and Dummy freely translated) and together they teach kids various things.

Pearl is a star in short animation films and boardgames as well. Very fresh and nicely slow paced children's program.

 You can also playWorld of Pearl  games online.

Pearl plays hockey

Pearl's Chirstmas eve

Pearl's Christmas

Mimmit

Three books from Mimmit:
Pakkasherra ja Kylmänhuokuja 2012,
Mimmit ja ketunpoikanen 2013 and
Mimmit ja luolan salaisuus 2013

All written by Pauliina Lerche and illustratred by Meri Mort.

Mimmit is an animation that is part of Mimmikoto children’s program. In the show, Mimmit creat all kinds of crafts, cook and play traditional games. In every episode there is an animated short story. Actually they could be seen as music videos. The stories in the animations are based on Finnish mythology. The music is influenced by the Karelian traditional folksongs. What I like about them is that the animation is so clear. The colors used are bright, the music resembles old folk songs.

Mimmit and Ketunpoikanen

The first book published was Pakkaherra and Kylmänhuokuja. Mimmit (the girls in Finnish) are waiting for winter, but it is not coming. Mimmit travel way up north and meet all kinds of creatures. Finally the find Pakkasherra (Mr. Frost) fighting with Kylmänhuokuja (Coldbreath,). In mythology Pakkasherra froze the land and brought snow and Kylmänhuokuja chilled the air and froze the lakes. Mimmit get the two to reconcile and finally there is snow.

Mimmit fly to find out, what happend to winter in Pakkasherra 

...

Second book, Mimmit ja ketunpoikanen, is a story about a fox cub, which hurts his leg in glass. It is spring and underneath the snow, all kinds of trash show up. Mimmit take care of the fox and the old tree in the yard rewards them and turns them into foxes. The girls run in the forest with the fox and they meet all kinds of creatures.

The third book, Mimmit ja luolansalaisuus, takes place in the fall. Mimmit are harvesting the crop and then they hear a strange sound from the forest. It comes out of a cave. What is in the cave? The book is filled with mythological creatures like maahinen (=gnome, but the Finnish gnomes aren't cute garden gnomes). In all the books the colors are bright and clear cut.