Veera

Veera and vehicles

Aino Havukainen, Sami Toivonen
Veera ja menopelit 2000
Veera ja maatalon eläimet 2000
Veeran keittiöpuuhat 2002

Veera is level headed girl, who guids Tatu and Patu (the boys from Strangetown). Veera is the voice of reason, while the boys are running around and make silly remarks.


The current trend is to make separate books for girls and boys.  This is definately aimed at girls (or the parents of girls). Tatu and Patu series is aimed at boys. At least in our house the boys like to listen to this story. Maybe that is because Tatu and Patu are part of this book series as well. I am sure many girls read Tatu and Patu stories as well.

Veera, Tatu and Patu see trains

Veera and vehicles
(Veera ja menopelit)

In the first book,  the boys are arguing, if an airplane can be pulled by a train. Veera shows Tatu and Patu different vehicles, everything from bikes to sailing boats.

Veera and the farm animals

Veera and farm animals
(Veera ja maatalon eläimet)
Veera, Tatu and Patu are visiting a farm. What does a cow look like? Is a pig's nose a socket? The boys get to milk a cow by hand.

Veera, Tatu and Patu visit a hen house

Veera and kitchen chores

Veera and kitchen chores
(Veeran keittiöpuuhat)

Tatu and Patu want to make pizza. Veera helps them and teaches them about different ingredients. The kitchen is full on interesting machines, which the boys want to try out. Cooking isn't done until the kitchen is clean.

Veera guiding Tatu and Patu in cleaning the kitchen

Niko reindeer

Niko cover

Hannu Tuomainen:
Niko - A way to the stars 2008
Niko 2 - Little Brother, Big Trouble 2012


Niko - A way to the stars
Niko is a young reindeer who lives with his mother. His father is supposedly one of the "Flying Forces", Santa's flying sled reindeer. Niko is trying to fly, but he cannot. His best friend, a flying squirrel Juuso is also a father figure to him. Niko decides to go visit his father at Korvatunturi, where Santa Clause lives. Juuso follows him. They save a weasel Wilma, who helps them find to Korvatunturi.

Wilma the weasel

On their way they run into Black Wolf, who wants to eat the Flying Forces. Niko escapes the wolf several times and the wolf gets mad. He wants revenge. Niko meets up his father and learnes to fly.

Niko 2 -cover

Niko 2 - Little brother, Big Trouble
In the second book, Niko's mother has met a new guy, who also has a son, Jonni. Jonni admires Niko, but Niko wants nothing to do with Jonni. Mostly, because Niko still wishes his father would come back to them. Niko wishes Jonni would disappear. So he does, the eagles take him. Niko goes after him.



The scenery in both books (originally in the movies) are very familiar, since they were inspired by Lappland. One thing bothers me. I konw it is a fairy tale, but in Finnish stories the Santa's reindeer never fly. That is totally anglo saxon mythology. Then again the story wouldn't be as exciting if the reindeer do not fly.

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.