Nepi the corgi

Tittamari Marttinen: Nepi ja paras koiravahti 2009
and  Nepi onnenkoira 2010
illustrated by Christel Rönns



Nepi and the best dog sitter ever
Nepi is a corgi, whose owner is very busy.  When the owner goes to work, Nepi is taken to the neighbors. One is too lazy, just eats junk. The other is too active, Nepi is exhausted.  The third one dresses Nepi up, so that he feels the other dogs are laughing at him. Finally there is  Alma, the girl upstairs. Together they go to the dog park, take naps and have fun. The best dog sitter ever!

Nepi meets Alma.

Nepi, the lucky dog
Alma is taking Nepi to a field trip to a summer camp for schoolchildren. There they meet other kids and their dog, a Saint Bernard named Pyry. The Saint Bernard is a hero, it used to live in Lapland and it saved people from the avalanches. And he is huge. Nepi feels himself a little small. He had never saved any lives. Everyone loves Pyry. Nepi wants someone to tell that they love him, too.

Nepi the lucky dog

The next day Alma takes Nepi to the beach. There they meet Enska, a  pug. His owner says he is a champion and Nepi feels jealous. He picks on Enska, who gets really sad.  Nepi feels awful and appologizes.  They find a common note and start playing with each other.  At home Nepi tells his owner that he wants to be something special. His owner keeps telling him, he is special. In any case, Nepi decides he can do heroic acts himself.  He helps the old lady next door to open the trash and a young mother to catch her toddler.  Later he saves Alma, or he thinks so, Alma is only doing somersaults in the water.  Alma says that Nepi saved her from boredom and loneliness.

Cute stories about a dog. Which could easily be identified as a child. I do not know, how children relate to these stories, but as an adult I see the great lessons in both of these books.  And corgis are cute too

Nepi and Alma at the camp with Pyry

Special dog Affe

Paola and Pirjo Suhonen 2015: Erikoiskoira Affe - Talviseikkailu Lapissa

Paola ja Pirjo Suhonen 2016: Erikoiskoira Affe -kevätretki kaupungilla

Affe is a huge dog with nerves of steel.  He likes Manchego cheese, swimming, being photographed and walks in the rain. He does not like taking baths, dog food, dog pars and scary looking dogs.

Affe's best friends are twins Arttu and Kerttu, who are four years old. Affe is the dog of their aunt, Pirkko.

Winter adventure in Lapland

Winter adventure in Lapland

Affe, Kerttu, Arttu and Pirkko are taking the over night train to Lapland.  It is very exciting to sleep in the train.

In Lapland they are staying in a grey loghome and immediatly they go skiing. All that snow! They ski to a wilderness hut and Aunt Pirkko gets the fire going, even though the wood is wet. 

Affe smells reindeer and chases after them and others get worried. It is getting dark and the others have to leave. Back at the log home, the kids want to stay outdoors to wait for Affe.Then they decide to make an missing dog announcement.  The local reindeer men help to look after them  In the morning Affe is found sleeping under a tree. A vet cheks Affe and he is fine.  Happy end.

Visiting the City in spring time

Kerttu and Arttu visit their Aunt Pirkko and Affe in Helsinki. (The name of the city is not mentioned, but according to the illustrations it is Helsinki. As if there were no other cities in Finland)

Pirkko lives in house that has an thrilling attic and a wodd burning sauna in the basement. Cute detail, Aunt Pirkko drinks something that reminds the kids of octopuss. (I had to really think about this, but luckily the bottle in the picture reads "Lonkero", which means tentacle as well as a brand of long drink in Finland)

Special dog Affe in Kaivopuisto, Helsinki

The next morning they go to the out door flee market, which is open for the first time this spring. Aunt Pirkko buys two bags of vintage dresses, and old faux-fur, two hats and a table cloth.

Then is lunch time. They go to Aunt Pirkko's favourite place (I assume it is Cafe Carusel in Kaivopuisto based of the illustration). On their way they still see ice fishers on the ice.  Affe can't come in adn suddenly a strange woman takes him. Aunt Pirkko rushes out side and catches them. Affe is safe and the police takes the woman away

On their way back to Aunt Pirkko's home they notice that the piles of snow are getting smaller, soon they can take their bikes and tennis shoes out.  As a last note Aunt Pirkko tells the children that the woman, who took  Affe has mental health problems.

Cute books with lots of different patterns. Paola Suhonen is one of the most famous fashion designers in Finland, so the clothing in the illustrations I assume are fashionable (I know nothing about fashion).  I also assume two more books are coming: one for the fall and one for the summer fashion season.

Ragline

Annika Sandelin 2010: Businnan
illustrated by Linda Bondestam

Annika Sandelin 2011: Businnan blir kär
illustrated by Linda Bondestam

Ragline (Businnan/Retkuliina)

Ragline  is a plush dog that has been thrown away,  but luckily Petra has taken her in. Ragline (Businnan in Swedish, Retkuliina in Finnish) is very selfis and high maintenance plush toy and she has to find her place among the other toys and where nobody appreciates her need to be the center of attention. The others are soon ready to throw her back on the street again.

Ragline enjoys the swings

Luckily Ragline is so loveable that she gets to stay.

Lessons about accepting others the way they are, but also not being a dive.

Ragline falls in love (Businnan blir kär)

Ragline meets Rackham a very charming boy plush dog and together they run away.

While Ragline is romacing with Rackham, Petra is very sad because she left. Petra's other toys at first are glad but then start to miss her as well. The house is boring without Ragline. Ragline soon sees that life isn't as rosy as she thought it would be and returns home a lot fatter. It turns out she is going to have a puppy.

The second version reminds me of Disney's Lady and the Tramp, but with a Kaurismäki twist: the male always leaves! That is too rough. I prefer the Disney version, but the perspective is good and so is the lesson: beware of these charmers!

To really charm Ragline, Rackham takes her to the garden.

Alpo finds Alma

Jukka Lemmetty 2011: Alpo löytää Alman

Alpo is an energetic little dog. He falls off his doghouse. His friend Jalmari takes him to the zoo to be taken care of, but all the animals are too busy.

Until they meet Miss Alma, who keeps the ice cream kiosk. Alma is delightful and Alpo takes her home to his mother.









The book is full of animal humor: would you like to brush the crocodile's teeth? The book also includes a map of all the places Alpo tries to find help.