Moksu's shop

Annukka Kiuru 2018: Moksun paja
illutrated by Sirkku Linnea

Moksu is a bunny, real cotton, filled with straw. One day he is forgotten at the fair. He gets frightened and runs to a near by forest and sees a door in a rock wall. He knocks on the door, but nobody answers. Only Mr. Longlegs is sleeping in his web.

When Mr. Longlegs wakes up, he cannot remember, where the previous owner, the witch has gone. Mr. Longlegs says it is his time to see the world and he leaves the the hut to Moksu.

When Moksu is picking up  nettle to make soup, he meet two mice: Heka and Tahmo, who had fallen off the roller coaster. Moksu invites them for a soup. Tahmo's arm is almost cut loose. Moksu finds some needle and thread and Heka says he can sew.
Tahmo is cobbler and Moksu has fixed many toy cars. Together they set up shop.

Their first customer is a Mercedes, which they hound in the ditch without back tires. Moksu fixes him. He is old and does not want to be played anymore, so he decides to stay and drive the mice to the fair. If they don't see any toys to fix, they gather supplies: pins, scarfs, gloves  and other things that could be used.

Moksu was also a tv series, but is no longer in air and I couldn't find any of them online.

Little Mouse helps out

Riikka Jäntti 2017
English translation Lola Rogers

Little Mouse is big enough to do things himself. At breakfast he wants to pour juice himself: it spills on the table. He puts his dirty clothes on the wash machine. He wants to mop the floor, NOW.  He wants to clean the toilet.  He wants to make pasta bake and wash the dishes.

His friend Pip comes to visit and together they build a fort.  Pip wants to play with Little Mouse's bear, so does Little Mouse. It turns into a fight. Mom has to step in and make them share.  Finally they play tag together and watch the thunderstorm outside.





Even though Little Mouse is not really helpful, only by participating the small learn. Many times I want to do the house chore myself, because the Little Helpers cause more chore, when they help me. But I am learning to let go, too. Having kids is great, you learn all kinds of things.

Veikka's forest adventure

Tuuli Hypén 2014: Veikan metsäretki

Veikka lives with his mother under a large oak on a meadow. Veikka’s mother has to rest during daytime, because she hunts at night. Veikka on the other hand has lots and lots of energy. Mother warns him not to go too far from home.

Veikka plays tag with butterflies and gets lost in the nearby forest. There is lot to see. Mice do not see Veikka, but the youngest badger snuffles Veikka hello. Vekka asks a forest mouse directions home, but the mouse is too busy eating raspberries. He would like to have some more, but the berries are too high. Veikka helps him. The mouse would gladly help, but he does not know where the meadow.

Goldcrest dance

Next, Veikka meets a hedgehog, who is in a very bad mood. He has leaves stuck on his spikes. Veikka takes the leaves off. The hedgehog advises Veikka to go round the hazel to get back to the meadow. But Veikka does not know what a hazel looks like.

Next he finds a glum snake by the rocks. Someone has pooped on the his favourite rock and he cannot warm up. Veikka wipes the doo off and the snake directs him to the hazel.

Goldcrest dance for Veikka and take him to the hazel. The hazel is so big, it is almost a tree. Inside the bush are lot of lovely smells. Veikka is busy, but is interreupted by a rabbit, who is stuck on a plastic bag. Veikka gets the bag off and the rabbit tells him the meadow is just behind the hill. It is getting dark and Veikka falls down the hill onto a bear. Bear has heard, how Veikka has helped the forest animals and carries him home.
This book has almost comicbooklike illustrations that capture well the different characteristics of different animals. Usually fox is the sly one, but here fox helps everyone.

The book has an important lesson in addition to the helping others part, do not go alone in the forest or you'll get lost.