Where did electricity go?

Text by Tiina Sarja 2018: Minne sähkö meni?
Story developed by Tiina Sarja, Mikko Posio and Henna Ryynänen
Illustrated by  Henna Ryynänen


The whole city is blacked out! Twins Akseli, Anni and their dog Voltti (a dog with a PhD)  start looking where does electricity come from. They meet a nutty professor and find out about power plants, nuclear power and even poop power in a farm.

The illustrations are great and there is so much information about energy that  (hopefully) kids have no more questions to ask. Except: what kind of tablet did the kids have, when its battery ran out so fast?

This book starts a series Anni and Akseli investigate. Can't wait for more!

Renewable energy and fossil fuels 

Wind power

Take a subway to forest

Elli Keisteri-Sipilä 2018: Metrolla metsään
pictures from Kalasatama east Miikka Nevalainen
pictures from Kalasatama west Hanna Nikula


The book title is catchy, but misleading: there is no forest at the center of Helsinki and even in Kamppi nature is limited to the Natural History Museum (although it is worth visiting). But none the less, this is a great book! I learned that if you want to see nature in Helsinki it is more than just coastal vegetation.

And at the center of Helsinki, you can always walk around the Töölö bay. In the summertime you can rent a bike in Espoo and you can ride the bike to shore and then rent a boat! Terrific!

The book has maps, but read carefully, some locations may be a few kilometers away from the subway station. But since you are willing to walk in nature, this should not be a problem.

Metro map, very simple. 

The cows in Helsinki

At Herttoniemi is a wetland, which is protected for the birds to nest. The routes, where you can walk are marked and there are plenty of paths to follow. You can also visit some bird watching towers.  The Vanhankaupunginlahti (Old City Bay), Viikki and the Vantaanjoki area create a unique nature experience. The book mentions that from Herttoniemi you can walk all the way to Kalasatama and depending on which routes you choose, you can walk 10-12 km.

Coast can be reached with Metro. Different kind of nature

Matinkylä is in Espoo by the Gulf of Finland. When I think of nature and forest in Espoo, I think of Nuuksio national park. But there you cannot go by subway, yet. This book shows other places where you can enjoy fresh air. From Matinkylä station is a 30 minute walk to Nokkala, where you can take the coastal boats to the islands near by.  Check out Iso Vasikkasaari!

The new destinations I am going to visit with my boys are at least the Kivikko army style obstacle course and Mustavuori Grove.  On the list is already visit to the Espoo archipelago. 

Small naturebook

Mauri Kunnas 2018: Pieni luontokirja

Aaah! Spring! Well not winter any way. My favourite children's author has made a nature book.

The book starts with birds, because the summer isn't here until the swallows have arrived. There are many others that come sooner like larks, finches and cranes.

Then comes bugs, plants, trees get their own section since we are know for our forests. Berries are next, I don't think people utilize enough the berries we have.

Animals are the last section (I know: bugs are animals, too). This section covers mammals, reptiles (we have two: snakes and salamanders) and frogs.

The bugs have gain a new appreciation due to research showing
we need them, if we want to eat.

This is great book and it does not bother me one bit that the pictures are drawn. Even the photos are not always accurate. It is really hard to recognize a bird.  I have lived most of my life in the countryside and I have spent many hours watching the birds and plants. My dad even quizzes me about the 30 different type of trees he has on his land.

It would be sad if the kids in the cities never learned to tell the difference between different birds.

The saunaflamingo

Lauri Hirvonen 2016: Inka ja saunaflamingo

Inka is a small girl and now she is vacationing at the summer house. Grandma and Grandpa come also to the summer house and together with Grandma Inka explores the nature and hears stories about Grandma's parents and childhood. Inka questions some information she hears: for example that the waterstriders can  run on water, because of the hair in their feet. Inka has seen the hair in her father's legs and he has to swim like the rest of us.

The title was intriguing: I could not imagine, what a saunaflamingo is (for information that is also the same in Finnish).  Spoiler, stop reading if you do not want to know what it is.  Inka and Grandma are in sauna and are planning what to play next day. Grandma is looking kind of pink and she decides to be a saunaflamingo.

I like the illustrations of this book. Well I guess you knew that because I only choose books, which illustrations are pleasing.  But also the text was smart and kind. Cutest was refering dad's leg hairs to those of waterstriders'. And again the book emphasized the importance of Grandmothers.

Hike destination

edited by Antti Huttunen and Touko Kauppinen: Retkipaikka 2015

Destinations collected from the website Retkipaikka.fi.  Fantastic photographs about the miraculous wonders of nature.  Many of the destinations are quite near Helsinki.
The website has the exact locations of these destinations.

I guess all the places listed in this book and on the website are remarkable. The one closest to my heart is Rokokallio, in Vihti. My mother was born near it and we used to walk to the top of the "rock" often.

Now is good time to plan the hinking destination for the summer. This is a good guide and the boys are motivated to walk to see these "exotic" sites, when they know before hand what kind of scenery is waiting for them. And some of these places look like they came from a fairytale book.

Rock maze at Rokokallio, Vihti

Water book

Marketta Vaismaa 2016: Vesikirja
Illustrations by Carlos da Cruz

It has been raining for four days and everyone is cranky. Most of all Granpa, who dropped his dentures in the toilet.  Pasi has been reading about Waterman and suddenly he appears and takes Pasi to an adventure to see the different forms of water, how it circles on earth and how it gets from the sewers back to nature.

The book tells that Finland is called a land of thousand lakes. Pasi and Waterman visit a watertower (and Waterman tells how it works). The book has short comic strips to tell about Pasi and Waterman.  But mainly the purpose of this book is to inform. We also learn what not to throw in toilet, how to spare water and how unique the Baltic sea is.

The unique Baltic sea

We even learn that the water we are drinking now, was also drunk by Julius Cesar and how the aqueducts worked and how people used to look for water with magic twigs.

The book ends in latin:  "Navigare necesse est, vivere no est necesse".  Of which I don't agree with, since I am such a farm girl.

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.

Rubyheart

Kaarina Helakisa 2009: Rubiinisydän
illustrated by Nina Haiko

The king of the forest gives a ruby heart to one child every year for inventing a way to keep the dragons happy. The dragons feed on the flowers and plants and hold iron eggs that if they were dropped on the forest, would destroy it completely.

This year a litte girl with hay hair wants to have the ruby. The most modest of the flowers, twinflower promises to help. The girl writes letters to the other children in the other forests and they all decide to bury the dragons in their caves with stones and stop feeding them. The king gives the girl the ruby heart, which she then splits and the birds takes the smaller ruby hearts to all the children in the other forests. The dragons won't be eating the flowers anymore.

This book has been translated in English.

Daugther of the Sun - Sámi fairy tales

Elina Helander-Renvall ed. 2012: Auringon tytär Saamelaisia satuja
English translation: Liisa Reinikainen

Five fairy tales in three different languages: Finnish, Sámi and English. The illustrations are made by the art Sudents of University of Lapland.

The stories explain for example how yoik singing was found. How nothing good comes from seeing the Christmas Spirits or Wanderers.

Ville Kanabro: Christmas Wanderers

A beautiful book with, even to me, exotic illustrations.

The spring of the water rat

Kirsi Hutri, Tom Björklund 2002: Vesimyyrän kevät

Mrs. Water-Rat explores the neighborhood during spring time. She sees frogs, pikes, cranes, flowers and all kinds of small creatures.

The book has a small information box about all the animals and plants Mrs Water-Rat sees, when she is waiting for the rest of her family to wake up.

I feel as if I walk aroung blind folded during the winter, but in the spring I start to notice things. And it is wonderful to see the plants pushing through the greyness.

The colorful cats nature tour

Lotta Kujanpää 2015: Kirjavan kissan luontoretki
Illustrated by Ilma-Sofia Kuismanen

The colorful cat meets many animals in nature: a wolverine draming of being Batman, he/she swims with the pikes. The cat wonders, how the moose grew so big by eating leaves.

In the winter he follows the rabbit's tracks, helps bear to stock up for winter and tries to sleep with the bear, except he snors.

Hybronating with a bear

The cat also wants play catch with a fox, sees a snake and tries to settle two fighting capercaillies He solves a mystery with a mole, joins the Saimaa seal for a revolutions. He also sees reindeers, otters and hedgehogs.


The illustrations are cute and capture well the light in the different seasons.

Playing with a moose.

Finnish children's nature guide

Iiris Kalliola & Lasse J. Laine: Suomen lasten retkeilyopas 2014

A nature guide to children, but in my mind many adults could read this book as well. The Finnish people seem to be drifting further away from nature and therefore be more afraid of animals and more allergic to different plants.

This book is divided into section by seasons: what to see and observe in spring, summer, fall or winter. For me the winter was most interesting, since I always thought things were dear or sleeping that time. Now I realize that there is still much to learn about nature in the winter. In TV I saw a clip about observing the winter plants and trying to see as many "talventörröttäjä" the winter plants that stick out of the snow.




Spring

In the spring you can listen to the owls in the dark, later watch the migratory birds flying back, watch the flower starting to bloom and look for frog spawn.

Summer

Summr time is good time to investigate everything: the swamps, forest, water ways, meadows and sleep in a tent. The book describes the clarity of the Finnish lakes and rivers. I was in Lemmenjoki ten years ago and we drank straight from the river, it was so clean and I believe it still is

Recepies for fish in a stick, a simple soup and ash potatoes.

Fall

In  the fall the elk is moving, mostly because they are hunted, you can go pick up lingonberries and mushrooms and watch the birds move south again.

Winter

Winter time is good for observing the starry night. In the summer time no stars can be seen. You can count the winter birds that stayed and go ice fishing. In addition you can look out for the tracks of different animals and their hide places.

The book also gives grat tips, what can you do in nature without the forest owners permission, jokamiehenoikeudet, what kind of gear you need and even recepies for cooking what you catch. 

Lossi-Lasse and the secrets of the seas

Anssi Keränen 2015: Lossi-Lasse ja merten salaisuudet

Lossi-Lasse is a seagull and a proud captain of Lindy Hop -ship. He takes Ekku and Nelli to see the seas.

On their journey, they meet dolfins, help a shipwrecked monkey and clean beaches.

The illustrations are clear and the message is getting across loud and clear: we have to save the seas. But not in a preaching way, but more subtle.






Where as the Pirate of the Fog Island focused on saving the Baltic Sea, Lossi-Lasse's interest is in the bigger seas.

Tracking Nature - guide to youths.

Iiris Kalliola 2011: Luonnon jäljillä, luonto-opas nuorille

What happens underneath the snow or when the birds are migrating?

This book introduces the diversity of Finnish nature from the beaches to the primeval forests. The book shows what kind of life can be found in the sand, where we do not see.





The book shows many things people do not see: like a wolverine eating a carrion. Modern people seem to be out of touch with nature. For a safe and clean encounter with the nature this book serves its purpose. I hope it has inspired people to go out to the lakes, forest and fields to look at nature as first hand experience.

How the elk got its antlers

Sari Kanala: Kuinka hirvi sai sarvensa
photos by Hannu Ahonen
water color illustrations Iida Pihl

Story about elk, bear and a fairy.

Elk and bear are good friends. One day a fairy comes with large antlers and offers them to the elk and the bear. The bear wants them. He is the king of the forest after all. The elk doesn't mind.

Summer passes along and the antlers give bear a lot of trouble: he cannot eat berries or catch fish with them. He is almost starving and he calls for the elk and offers the antlers to him. The fairy takes the antlers off the bear and gives them to the elk.

The lesson of this story is that you don't have to have everything. Sometimes you are better off without gigantic antlers. Let the elk have them.

The book is illustrated by photographs and watercolors. The photos have be "photoshopped" so that the elk, the girl (ie the fairy) and the bear can all be peacefully side by side. This book also has the text both in Finnish and in English.

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.

Saippa : saimaannorppa = The Saimaa ringed seal

Sari Kanala 2015
English text: Erja Mononen
gouaches by Daga Ulv
photographs by Juha Taskinen


As the title reveals, the main character is Saippa, the Saimaa ringed seal. The book tells the how Saippa lives his/her first year at Saimaa.

The book is illustrated with gouaches as well as photographs and the texts are both in Finnish and in English.

Mama seal giving birth

The story starts when Mama Saimaa ringed seal gives birth to her cub in a pile of snow.  Obviously there are no photos of that, but the illustration is charming.

At the end of the book is more information about the other seals living in Finland. And the facts are checked by the ringed seal scientists.

Seals on Saimaa.

Maybe I am a bit  fixated with the ringed seals.  Earlier this year I blogged about another seal. But it is easy. They are so cute and adorable. It seams that the less attractive endangered species do not get such attention. It is a cruel world.

Peter Robin puts out a forestfire

Tapani Karinen 2008: Pekka Punarinta sammuttaa metsäpalon

Peter the Robin is a very lively little bird. While playing in the forest with his friend, he sees an open fire. All animals panic and try to figure out what to do.

Peter takes action and puts out the fire, before the whole forest is on fire.

The very high lighted message of this book is that stupid humans left the campfire smoldering and did not put it out properly. Kids remember to take care of the nature.





This book is published in this century, but it reminded me of the books I used to read back in the 80s. I guess there is still need for educational stories. I also like the illustrations of this book. 

Anni and the wolf

Anni and the wolf cover

Anu Jaantila 2000: Anni ja Susi
photos by Timo Viljakainen

Anni wonders to the forest and falls asleep. A wolf finds her and after both overcome their fears they become friends. The wolf helps Anni back home.

After the story Kaarina Kauhala tells about wolves' lives. 

At the end of the book reads that the wolf used in the pictures is actually part wolf and part dog. 

The wolf finds Anni sleeping

Finnish people are afraid of wolves and at some parts it is justified. Although it is strange that the media is willing to feed that hunger by telling the stories of how wolves attacked sheep or reindeer. I am not sure how it should be handled, on the other hand people have the right to know.

I am sure the intention of this book was to make wolves less scary, but one thing bother me in this book: if a child should meet a wolf in the forest, what should he/she do? Be friends with it? Aren't the lone wolves the most dangerous?

Satu and Pyrre of the peartree

Anna Gullichsen 2008: Satu ja päärynäpuun Pyrre
illustrated by Cara-Maria Knuutinen

Satu’s is spending her summer with her Grandmother. Grandma Simone is from France and raises plants in pots that grow in her native region: rosemary, lavender, agave, olive trees and many other. Satu’s grandfather was a gardener and he set up a garden that has rare perennials. In the garden plot Satu and Grandma Simone have sown spinach, beans, carrots and chili peppers.

One day Satu climbs into a high oak and hears humming. It is not a bird, a cricket or a kitten. The hummer is a small man who resembles a tree branch. His name is Pyrus Communis, pear tree in Latin. His nick name is Pyrre and he helps Satu take care of the garden, weeding and composting.

Wonderful flowers that bloom in Grandma Simone's garden.

 The book is full of plants in the garden, recipes for Provençal opinion pie and pear marmalade. In June bloom different flowers than in July or August. There is even a small Finnish-French dictionary at the end of the book, since Grandma Simone uses them when she speaks to Satu.

 I realise that my green thumb is making itself known. The book is wonderfully colored and all the flowers look tempting. I cannot wait to get my hands on the dirt. Usually I am too early in the nurseries and I cannot find all the plants that I would like to have in my garden.