Hisse's Christmas

 Sari Kanala 2016: Hissen joulu
Illustrated by Daga Ulv


Hisse is a small mouse has a job to do: get a Christmas tree. Usually his dad is with him, but this year his dad has broken his leg and cannot walk.

On his way, he sees animals from the forest needing help. Mice children need help with building a snowman, a mouse girl has lost his boots and is freezing.  Hisse gives his wool socks to warm her feet.  He sees Grandpa wandering around, lost.  Hisse gives him his lantern, so he can find his way back home.





Then he meets a small bat, who fell from his home Hisse gives him his scarf to keep him warm and holds him in his arms. Soon the bat thinks he can start calling for his mother.  And his continues to look for the perfect Christmas tree.

He finds the tree and returns home. Mom had left him a sandwich. He is so tired that he cannot think of Christmas presents. Hisse falls asleep sad.

When he wakes up, cinnamon and the tree. The tree sparkling in the candlelight.  Hisse had slept long and everyone had let him sleep. All mice were admiring the tree. It was the best tree ever. Hisse was happy, he had given the best present ever.

I especially loved that there was a bat in the story. We do not have that many bat species in Finland and I think people are still too afraid of them. This book is definitely about giving immaterial presents (exept the tree). Let's have Christmas spirit through out the year and help each other.

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.

Tales from the old church

Sari Kanala 2007
English translation Tony Melville
watercolor illustrations by Iida Pihl
Photographs by Ismo Hannula and Simo Peteri

Tales from the Old Church of Petäjävesi.
The stories tell about an elf, who rings the bells at night, micshievous crows that learn a lesson and the church getting ready for Christmas.

The illustrations are photograhps that have watercolor elements in it. Sometimes it is really hard to tell apart the watercolor from the actual photo. The old church has a fairy tale charm to it.

We Finns take our wood seriously.  Stones were used scaresly since they were so expensive. And so we made our churches from wood. This wooden church is part of the World Heritage Covention.

When I visit the grand churches of Europe, I always wonder how much money was spent on them. How many people could have been fed or educated with that money? On the other hand, I admire them and am very glad that they still exist and that they are not torn down because of some idealism.

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.