Welcome to Rauhala

Jenni Kirves 2015: Tervetuloa Rauhalaan
illustrated by Annika Hiltunen

Toivo is a small boy, who's parents have been fighting several days. Toivo feels horrible and hides in the attic.  All of a sudden the stairs start to grow and take Toivo to Rauhala, where the flowers are more colorful and the water sparkles brighter.  Toivo would like to stay, but in the same time he misses his parents. He's only wish is that they would not fight so much.

Rauha also shows what happens after death.

Toivo means Hope and I have been trying to figure out, what it means that it is masculine in the Finnish language and feminine in the English language. We also have a female name Rauha, which means peace and masculine name Usko (Faith).  Maybe it does not mean anything.


This book is very colorful and without any religious pathos, is very reassuring. It also teaches us adults to think about our own actions from the child's point of view.

Some one once said that the parents everyday is the child's childhood. What kind of childhood do want our children to have? It has given me a new perspective on my every day activities.

Day at the Korkeasaari zoo

Katariina Heilala 2015: Päivä Korkeasaaressa
illustrated by Juha Hämäläinen
photos Korkeasaari archive

I am not a big fan of zoos. I do understand their usefulness as restoring animal, but it still sometimes makes me real sad to see the animals in cages.

If you're going to the Korkeasaari zoo, you should read this book. The book is full of wonderful pictures of the animals in the zoo. And there is a lot of information about the rare animals and how they come to the zoo.

The basic story is Grandmother taking Jade and Jonas to the zoo.

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.