Big Walrus and Little Walrus

Maire Uotila 2009: Isomursu ja pikkumursu

Little Walrus is waiting for his dad Big Walrus, who is a sailor. Satyrday is sauna day and blueberry pie day, but this Saturday is special, because dad is coming home.

Big Walrus has a surprise: he is taking Little Walrus with him. Together they see cities with trams, eat ice cream, speak mur-mur language with bears. Walrus is mursu in Finnish and therefore they can speak it.

Usually I like illustrations that are very accurate, but this book is so retro and the illustrations are black and blue that it is very cute.

I do not know anything about sailing and waiting for dad, but I can relate to the fact that Saturday is sauna day and on Saturdays Mom would have the time to bake,blueberry pies or sweet rolls.

Family adventure

Liisa Lauerma 2011: Sukuseikkailu
illustrated by Ismo Rekola

Noora and Nikke are exploring their family. Noora wants to what it was like, when Grandma was a child and Nikke wants to know, what it means that  great-great-grandfather was a sailor. Does it mean that the future generations will be working with sea?

The kids hear about the lovestories of their great-grandparents, what they got as a present for their wedding and what kind of skills and features they had. Whose hair does Nikke have? And where did Noora get her long and narrow fingers?  Every member of their family have charecteristics. Matti seemed to be an early bird.  Grandma Ursula was hard working and Grandma Maikki laughed alot.  Some relatives are seldom mentioned and families can have secrets.


The book introduces family peacock, which has a tail made of different family roots. Only syblings have the same kind of peacock tail.

While Noora and Nikke researc their family, they discover that their mother is from Häme and their Father's side comes from Carelia.

The book gives instructions how to collect family information, where grandparent's used to live and work and what the everyday life was like. What kind of meals did they prepare?

The book also has additional activities online about Geneology. What a wonderful hobby!