Veka whizzes

Anne Kalliola 2006: Veka viilettää
illustrated by Ilkka Ruokola

Veka is a small bird who always flies as fast as he can. One day he is outflown by a common swift. Veka is really upset: he is not the fastest.

An Uncle Crow tries to teach him to fly slower. At first Veka is afraid he will drop. He is not used to flying so slow. Uncle Crow shows him the dots of a lady bird and to notice berries at th edge of the forest.

Veka even saves a small bird from drowining, when he is flying slower.




The illustrations are so lifelike that the speed of Veka makes me almost out of breath. The book also describes the Finnish summer at its best.

The story is a great lesson for all of us not to fly so fast all the time.