24 steps to Christmas

Kaisa & Aleksi Kuokka 2013: 24 askelta jouluun

This  book is not a Children's book, but it is a good book to get into the Christmas spirit. It may be too much for trying to do all the book has instructions for, but you can start with some this year and then some more next year.

The book combines the traditional elements of Christmas, like Himmeli a traditional Christmas decoration with some more modern cuisine such as Spanish appertizers.

I have tried making a Himmeli but the straws split very easily, in this book they make it look really easy.


The book is illustrated with lovely pictures of the different foods and crafts.

Traditional straw decoration

The book also gives advise how wrapp gifts. I am not very good at that and this book didn't help me at all. I usually go to Pentik to see how the girls there wrap anything in a beautiful way.

Summer at Doghill

Mauri Kunnas 2015: Kesä Koiramäessä

The Doghill kids are waiting anxiously for summer. The watch the different signs of it including swallows. This summer they have a visitor from the city to spend the whole summer with them.

This book continues the story of the Doghill farm. The Doghill folk show us, what kind of summer activities people used to have in the 19th century.

I can practically hear the birds,  taste the wild straberrys, smell the flowers and feel the waves in my toes. The hail in book reminded me of the hail storms when I was a child.

Bonfire of Whitsuntide

Why coudn't the school books be as much fun as this book? I bet my boys learned something of the Finnish history and customs easily.  This is also s great book to read in the darkness of November.

The knights of the Baltic Sea

Karin Henriksson 2012: Itämeren ritarit
illustrated by Harri Tarkka

Aino Ahven (perch), Harri Hauki (pike) and Kaisa Kampela (flounder) are eager pupils. Today they learn about scary things called humans.

The teacher tells them that humans are polluting their homes and force everyone to move. Aino, Harri and Kaisa want to talk some sense to the humans. Teacher  advises them to see Granpa Seal, who knows magis since he once was in the circus.
Aino, Harri and Kaisa meet Granpa Seal and get the ability to talk to humans. They swim to shore and meet some kids. The kids promise to do everything in their power to stop the polluting.

Very educational book about the poor condition of the Baltic Sea. When Kaisa and Harri are too deep in the dead part of the sea, it actually feels lifeless. The illustrations are that good. The importance of human action is greatly emphasised.

Welcome to Rauhala

Jenni Kirves 2015: Tervetuloa Rauhalaan
illustrated by Annika Hiltunen

Toivo is a small boy, who's parents have been fighting several days. Toivo feels horrible and hides in the attic.  All of a sudden the stairs start to grow and take Toivo to Rauhala, where the flowers are more colorful and the water sparkles brighter.  Toivo would like to stay, but in the same time he misses his parents. He's only wish is that they would not fight so much.

Rauha also shows what happens after death.

Toivo means Hope and I have been trying to figure out, what it means that it is masculine in the Finnish language and feminine in the English language. We also have a female name Rauha, which means peace and masculine name Usko (Faith).  Maybe it does not mean anything.


This book is very colorful and without any religious pathos, is very reassuring. It also teaches us adults to think about our own actions from the child's point of view.

Some one once said that the parents everyday is the child's childhood. What kind of childhood do want our children to have? It has given me a new perspective on my every day activities.

Day at the Korkeasaari zoo

Katariina Heilala 2015: Päivä Korkeasaaressa
illustrated by Juha Hämäläinen
photos Korkeasaari archive

I am not a big fan of zoos. I do understand their usefulness as restoring animal, but it still sometimes makes me real sad to see the animals in cages.

If you're going to the Korkeasaari zoo, you should read this book. The book is full of wonderful pictures of the animals in the zoo. And there is a lot of information about the rare animals and how they come to the zoo.

The basic story is Grandmother taking Jade and Jonas to the zoo.

Lossi-Lasse and the secrets of the seas

Anssi Keränen 2015: Lossi-Lasse ja merten salaisuudet

Lossi-Lasse is a seagull and a proud captain of Lindy Hop -ship. He takes Ekku and Nelli to see the seas.

On their journey, they meet dolfins, help a shipwrecked monkey and clean beaches.

The illustrations are clear and the message is getting across loud and clear: we have to save the seas. But not in a preaching way, but more subtle.






Where as the Pirate of the Fog Island focused on saving the Baltic Sea, Lossi-Lasse's interest is in the bigger seas.

Tracking Nature - guide to youths.

Iiris Kalliola 2011: Luonnon jäljillä, luonto-opas nuorille

What happens underneath the snow or when the birds are migrating?

This book introduces the diversity of Finnish nature from the beaches to the primeval forests. The book shows what kind of life can be found in the sand, where we do not see.





The book shows many things people do not see: like a wolverine eating a carrion. Modern people seem to be out of touch with nature. For a safe and clean encounter with the nature this book serves its purpose. I hope it has inspired people to go out to the lakes, forest and fields to look at nature as first hand experience.

Secret Mushroombook, the lost notes of Professor Fungus

Julia Savtchenko 2014: Salainen sienikirja : professori Funguksen kadonneet muistiinpanot

Professor Cornelius Fungus is exploring the fascinating world of fungus with Mrs. Rimosa.  Together they find all kinds of intriguing mushrooms.

The book is a fictional "encyclopedia" that my boys found very interesting. Although I had to tell them that these kind of mushrooms do not really exist.

My favorite is the fancycollar mushroom which only appears in garden parties. Professor Fungus and Mrs. Rimosa had to throw garden parties in three different nights before this beauty appeared.  This mushroom grows in places, where it can sense the party atmosphere the best.



Boys favorite was the woolly milkcap with teeth (karvarousku in Finnish). It almost looks like the real thing, but has teeth.

The book is mysterious and fun. Besides all Finns a some point of theirlives pick mushrooms in the forest.

Otso and the toe eaters

Anja Portin 2015: Otso ja varpaansyöjät
illustrations by Timo Mänttäri

Otso is staying at his grandmothers and they have fish for dinner. Grandma tells Otso about the food chain: a krill eats plankton, a herring eats krill, a cod eats herring and human eats cod.

This starts to bother Otso: what will eat him? He tries to apply this theory: a bug that will be eaten by his soft toy, which then will be eaten by Grandma's cat. Then Otso will eat the cat and Grandma will eat Otso. Because Grandma's must be at the top of the food chain. Grandma laughs at him and the bug runs away and the cat couldn't care less.




Otso starts to imagine the creatures that will come and eat him.  Do they have bellybuttons? Will they use knife and fork? He can't sleep. Back at home dad reminds him about his name: Otso is a nickname to bear. That relieves Otso and he no longer is scared.

I guess it is universal that kids are afraid of bogeymen. And usually the fear is triggered by the strangest things.  I like the illustrations of this book and how Grandma's house really looks like Grandma's house.

Day at Linnanmäki: the most fun quarter of Helsinki

Katariina Heilala 2015: Päivä Linnanmäellä: "Helsingin hauskin kaupunginosa"
photographs by Teemu Ullgrén
illustrations by Päivi Arenius

To some people Linnanmäki is the only real amusement park in Finland. This book tells about the different rides from the Carousel to the rollercoaster.

The book is full of colorful photos and stories of people visiting the park. I did not know that underneath the roller coaster is a secret garden growing apples and other fruit.






When I was a teenager the best ride was the wooden roller coaster. I still don't know if  the speed of the ride or the fact that I was a afraid the wooden beams would break was the most exciting. Or maybe it was the cutest guys (Jarrumies) operating the cars. It turns out that I was not the only on after the guys of Vuoristorata. In this book many women tell that the only reason they came to Linnanmäki was the guys of the wooden roller coaster, which was built in 1951.

There is really no comparison between the huge modern day amusement park, Linnanmäki feels like a museum, but that is part of it's charm. It is also run by a charity Children's Day Foundation, which supports the wellfare of Finnish children.