Eelis at summer house

Tittamari Marttinen 2006: Eelis mökillä
Illustrated by Anne Peltola

Eelis and his family are packing all kinds of useful stuff to take on their vacation on a summer house. The house smells funny and mice had eaten everything that was left in for the winter.

The vacation starts with cleaning, but luckily Eelis does not have to participate, he can go check his treasures in a secret hiding place. Then his best friend Iiris, arrives with her family. The dad's play darts (the Finnish kind, with only ten circles, most points "10" can be received in the middle).

Then it is time to fo fishing.  Mom is calling everyone to sauna, but the kids ride their bikes to the cafe near by, where they get ice cream.  Back at the summer house Eelis tells Iiris about the outhouse monster, which hides. Suddenly, surprise guests arrive by boat. You never know if they stay for the night or for the week. With sauna the families and friends roast sausages by the fire.

Next day is beautiful and the children spend the day in the lake swimming. Then the weather changes and it starts to rain. The kids play inside.

When you are invited to a summer house, be prepared: it can be a cartboard box with no electricity and an out house or it can be a luxurious log house with a hot tub. Nonetheless all Finns are very proud of their summer houses and are very hospitable. Be also prepared to work in a summer house, there always is something to do, if not chopping wood then taring the roofs.

After Midsummer all Finland closes and most of the Finns can be found in their summer houses.

Day of magic

Kaisa Järnefelt 2014: Taikapäivä
illustrated by Riikka Jäntti



Maaria is spending time with her grandparents' house. She has imaginery friends: a horse named Rhubarb. With it Maaria attends summer wedding where many couples get married, also a frog marries a mouse.

It is magical to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma is baking pastries and Grandpa can be mistaken for a sleuth, but he also takes Maaria fishing.

Grandma's red cottage

The book also includes short poems, including an ode to Grandma's cottage and the sleuth lying in the hammock.


My Grandma used to live in a red cottage like here in this book and she always had some pastries, such as the korvapuusti for us kids.  My mother makes the best korvapuusti in the world and my boys love them (as do their dad and everyone, who has ever tasted them).

Grandma baking lots and lots of sweet rolls.

I never had such an imagination as Maaria here in this book. But just a while ago my father came indoors with a spoon. He had found it near a big stone. I admitted that it must have been mine, because as a child I had thought that stone was a sacrificial stone and I had wanted to dig around it. (At the time I wanted to be an archaeologist.) Needless to say, my concentration was lost before I got through the weeds.

Melody forest : in the footsteps of Jean Sibelius

Katri Kirkkopelto 2015: Soiva metsä Sibeliuksen matkassa

"Music is like a butterfly. If you hold it in the palm of your hand, turning it this way and that, inspecting it, its wings will lose their shine. It will still fly, but will no longer shimmer as it did before."

Jean Sibelius tells this to his grandchild, who is visiting him and Aino Sibelius.

Aino Sibelius tells the child about Jean or familiarly Janne. The book is beautifully illustrated. Most illustrations are from Finnish nature.

Jean Sibelius in Ainola with his grandchild

The book comes with a CD, which was recorded in Ainola by cellist Jussi Makkonen and pianist Nazig Azezian. The play some of Sibelius' most universally loved compositions, my favorites Finlandia and Valse Triste.   Finlandia gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

Aino and Jean Sibelius on their honeymoon in Pielijärvi

Jean Sibelius was born 150 years ago and he is buried in Ainola, his home. Ainola is still open for visits.


This book has been published in Finnish, Swedish and English.