Ricky the Rapper in traffic

Sinikka Nopola and Tiina Nopola: Risto Räppääjä liikenteessä
illustrated by Christel Rönns

I am glad kids are taught how to behave in traffic, since so many adults do not. This book is makes adults look silly and it is always a big hit with the kids.

The book teaches the basic traffic signs, the rules who goes first. But at least I tell my boys that in a match between a car and a pedestrian, the pedestrian always looses. The same goes for bikes. So I cannot emphasize enough that boys should be careful. You can never be sure that the drivers see the kids.

One thing that is missing from this book and is driving me nuts is in trains: people start pushing in the train even before the other people have come out! Come on.  Where are the manner schools for adults?

Visualization of Risto without reflector in
  the first picture, and below with reflectors
 and a head lamp.

In winter time  two things should be remembered: it is dark and slippery. Some how people always forget that and come November many accidents happen.

So, keep your reflectors and even lamps when you walk out side. Even in cities the street lamps only light a limited area and the people blend in the shadows.

Sometimes we get snow and the snowplow truck keep the streets clean.  In the country side, where there are no sidewalks, change sides when the truck approaches, or you'll end up like Aunt Rauha at the bottom picture.

Also the streets are very slippery, so be prepared that the cars may not stop as fast as in summer time.  So when you are walking, keep that in mind.

My favorite advice in traffic: no sudden moves! That eliminates some accidents.

Watch out for the snow plow truck!
Now, what can you do?

Heyflower, Quitshoe and the Christmas rascall

Sinikka & Tiina Nopola 2017: Heinähattu, Vilttitossu ja jouluvintiö
Illustrated by Salla Savolainen

It is almost Christmas and Quiltshoe is afraid that she won't get enough presents. She sees a charity collecting toys for the less priviledged kids and decides to be a begger to get some toys for herself. That does not work, so she becomes a player at the Star singers on the street. That does not work either.

The girls' parents call Hayflower the Christmas child, because she is being nice and doing all the chore. Now what can Quiltshoe do to be called the same? She sure is going to try. Her family is worried, because she has never been this helpful and selfless.




When Santa brings the presents and there is just as many for Quiltshoes and there is for Hayflower, Quiltshoe gets mad. She has been so nice!

How to teach a child the meaning of Christmas?

Risto the Rapper

Sinikka and Tiina Nopola

Noodlehead -cover

Illustrated by Aino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen ( Two books illustrated by Christel Rönns)
Hetki lyö, Risto Räppääjä 1997
Risto Räppääjä ja kauhea makkara 1998
Risto Räppääjä ja Nuudelipää 2000
Risto Räppääjä ja pakastaja-Elvi 2001
Risto Räppääjä ja komea Kullervo 2002
Risto Räppääjä ja sitkeä finni 2003
Risto Räppääjä ja Hilpuri Tilli 2004
Risto Räppääjä ja villi kone 2006
Risto Räppääjä ja viimeinen tötterö 2007
Risto Räppääjä ja kuuluisa Kamilla 2009
Risto Räppääjä saa isän 2011
Risto Räppääjä ja nukkavieru Nelli 2012
Risto Räppääjä ja kaksoisolento 2013
Risto Räppääjä ja Sevillan saituri (will be published in July 25th, 2014)


Risto Räppääjä is a young boy that lives with his aunt Rauha. He plays the drums and raps (hence the name Räppääjä = rapper in Finnish). Risto and Rauha have odd adventures, even though they try to live ordinary lives. Risto’s best friend is Nelli Nuudelipää (Noodlehead). Risto has bookseries, plays and movies.

Risto the Rapper movie book -cover

The bookseries starts with Risto and Rauha moving into a new home. Risto plays his drums and then the threatening t Letters start coming from upstairs. In book nr 2, Rauha has to come up with new product to sell. Rissto comes up with sausages that they can get from Hungary.

 In Risto Räppääjä and Noodle hear, RIsto gets new neighbors. At first Risto doesn’t like Nelli but soon they are best friends. Pakastaja-Elvi is a story about Rauha’s cousin Elvi, who comes to help out when Rauha breakes her leg. Risto thinks Elvi is a criminal.

 In Risto Räppääjä and Handsome Kullevo a new boy Handsome Kullervo moves to the house next door. Nelli and Kullervo becomes friends and Risto becomes jealous. In the next book Risto gets a pimple even though Risto is too young. Risto tries to hide it from Nelli. It turns out that the pimple is glue.

The two books presented here are special books. The first has pictures from the first Risto Räppääjä movie.

Alpo tells what the characters were thinking

Risto the Rapper movie book 2008
-39 coincedenses and facts about the movie
Alpo the cat knows what really happened in the movie. He tells what Risto and Nelli thought when Risto visits Nelli. And what Nelli thought, when Risto shows her his favourite stone. This book gives another angle to the movie. The producers of the movie enlighten the birth of the movie and how one movie involves dozens of professionals, but also roles, juice and snacks. Sinikka and Tiina Nopola tell, who the characters from the manuscript jump into the screen and how the whole movie is team work.

 
 RR as in Risto the Rapper 2010

RR cover

The second book tells background stories to Risto: what was he like as a baby? What kind of childhood did Rauha have. It also explains the prowerbs that are used in the book. The book also includes word acrobatics. There are also puzzeles such as: what doesn’t belong to the group.

The faces of Risto the Rapper

Siiri

Siiri and horrible ghost -cover

Tiina Nopola
illustrated by Mervi Lindman
Siiri books have been translated to six languages: among others Swedish, German, Danish, Russian and Chinese. Siiri is a energetic girl, who solves problems that the kids nowadays have: making friends, dealing with loneliness and fear. The illustrations are fresh and support the stories well. There are several Siiri books:

Siiri and three Ottos (Siiri ja kolme Ottoa 2002)
Siiri and Onni upstairs (Siiri ja yläkerran Onni 2003)
Siiri and messy Kerttu (Siiri ja sotkuinen Kerttu 2004)
Siiri and terrible Piggy (Siiri ja kamala possu 2005)
Siiri and Kerttu's flee (Siiri ja Kertun kirppu 2006)
Siiri and fierce Hunskeli (Siiri ja hurja Hunskeli 2008)
Siiri's christmas surprise (Siirin jouluyllätys 2009)
Siiri and horrible ghost (Siiri ja kauhea kummitus 2010)
Siiri scores a goal (Siiri tekee maalin 2011)
Siiri and yeti (Siiri ja lumimies 2012)
Siiri and wild toddler (Siiri ja villi taapero 2013)


Siiri and the three Ottos
Siiri wants a friend, she wonders if mom has a baby in her belly. When there is no baby, Siiri wants a dog. Siiri’s parents aren’t too thrilled and forget all about it. Siiri decides to get a dog on her own. On her way to pick up a dog, Siiri meets three Ottos: Little Otto, Middle Otto and Big Otto. Are they solution to Siiri’s problem?

Siiri and horrible ghost: adventure is over

Siiri and Onni upstairs
Mr Cloud’s dog Onni comes to Siiri for day care. Siiri takes Onni to an outing and Onni disappears. Siiri’s friends the Ottos are nearby and help Siiri to find Onni. That is not an easy task. After his adventure Onni does not want to be a pocket dog anymore.

Siiri and messy Kerttu
Little Otto is visited by his cousin Kerttu. Siiri has never seen such a messy child. Kerttu jumps in the puddles, rolls in the sand box and smudges Little Otto’s house with cake batter. Kerttu gets all Ottos to play with her. Siiri is all alone, because she thinks making a mess is childish. Finally Siiri plays the messy games. That is the only way to keep Ottos as friends. When Siiri is real messy, she meets the Ottos and a clean girl in the park. It is Kerttu and she is going home.

Siiri and terrible Piggy
Siiri’s dearest soft toy, Bunny, has a hole. It needs to be mended. Siiri and all Ottos take Bunny to the soft toy hospital. Siiri can not live without Bunny and the hospital sends her a Piggy. Siiri does not like Piggy.Siiri thinks Piggy looks mean. When Bunny is released from the hospital, the hospital says Siiri can keep Piggy. Siiri decides to toss the Piggy in the corner. Suddenly Piggy seems sad and lonely. Siiri invites all Ottos to celebrate Bunnys return and Piggy sits next to Bunny.

Siiri and Kerttu's flee
The messiest girl in the neighborhood Kerttu says she has a flee. Siiri, Little Otto, Middle Otto and Big Otto want to see it. Kerttu accepts, if she can play Big Otto’s French horn. But the flee has flown from Kerttu’s box. Kerru cries, since the flee was her only friend.

Siiri and wild toddler -cover

Siiri and fierce Hunskeli
It is Siiri’s birthday and she gets a puppy as a gift. The dog’s name is Hunskeli and it is awfully energetic. Hunskeli goes to a dog daycare, but does it calm down there?

Siiri's christmas surprise
Mr Cloud’s dog Onni comes to Siiri for day care. Siiri takes Onni to an outing and Onni disappears. Siiri’s friends the Ottos are nearby and help Siiri to find Onni. That is not an easy task. After his adventure Onni does not want to be a pocket dog anymore.

Siiri and horrible ghost
Little Otto says he has seen a ghost at the attic. Siiri wants to see it and it turns out to be curtains. Little Otto still thinks there is a real ghost. Siiri, Big Otto and Middle Otto have a sleepover with Little Otto is afraid that Siiri will tell the other boys that Litlle Otto was afraid of a ghost. Little Otto shows the others how brave he actually is.

Siiri scores a goal
Little Otto, Middle Otto and Big Otto play soccer too, and they think Siiri is a lousy player. Siiri toughens up and decides to show Ottos. In the team, Siiri is the smallest and she is run over. Karoliina, the best player in the team, thinks that Siiri is a set back to the team. Siiri wants to show her.

Siiri and yeti
Siiri gets skies as Christmas present. She practices hard and then asks the three Ottos to a skitrip. Ottos would rather play hockey. Siiri is upset, because she want’s to show her skills to the boys. Finally Siiri comes up a story that she has seen yeti’s foot prints near the ski trail and she gets the Ottos to ski with her. Siiri skis a head and makes the foot prints. Suddenly Siiri can’t find back to the trail and gets lost.

Siiri and wild toddler: boys follow toddler.

Siiri and wild toddler
Siiri wants to play mother and Little Otto is her baby. Siiri pushes Little Otto around town and he starts to enjoy the attention. Big Otto and Middle Otto do not recognize Little Otto as a baby. Siiri asks them to baby sit,while she goes to the store. When Big Otto and Middle Otto are not lookin, Little Otto jumps out of the baby buggy and runs into the amusement park. Big Otto, Middle Otto and Siiri follow.

Heyflower, Quiltshoe and the bald robber

Sinikka Nopola and Tiina Nopola 2012
illustrations: Salla Savolainen

Helga and Halise Alibullen have been invited to Heyflower's and Quiltshue's playhouse for some cake. When the ladies get to the house, they see the girls fitting. Heyflower, who is the older sister, has made her little sister, Quiltshoe, mad by telling her that she was bold as a baby. The neighbor ladies try in vain to settle the girls. Quiltshoe wants to see pictures. Heyflower shows her the pictures and indeed Quiltshoe was bold.

When Heyflower falls asleep that night, Quiltshoe cuts her pigtails. In the morning Heyflower is very upset. Quiltshoe tells the family that someone stole the hair. Then she runs way and bumps into Policeofficer Bigbelly. Quiltshoe tells him about the theft and he deducts that it must be the famous Bald-robber.

Mom and Dad are looking for Quiltshoe and the police is looking for the robber. In the end Quilshoe admits that she cut the hair. Mom gives Hayflower a nice box to hold her pigtails and Hayflower forgives Quilshoe. Mom also shows that Hayflower was as bold as Quiltshoe, when she was a baby.




Sinikka and Tiina Nopola are sisters and they have written several Hayflower and Quiltshoe books. The first book was published in 1989 and the twelfth book in 2006. The other books are novels. Sinikka and Tiina have told that the adventures of Hayflower and Quiltshoes are based on their own experiences ad kids and adults with their own kids. The books have a lot of dialog, because the Nopola sisters create the stories by talking. Several plays have been made based on the books and in 2003 was released a Heyflower and Quiltshoe movie.

The girls in the books are very likable and as a mother of two boys it is nice to see that even girls can pick a fit over the silliest things. I had forgotten how we fought with my sister.