STIVENS FAT ÄR UTAN MAT
Förlaget, March 2025, 44 pp.

SNÄLLA STELLA, SLUTA SKÄLLA!
Förlaget, January 2023, 44 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Swedish PDFs
English PDFs

Stiven

Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander

Highly recommended for everyone, but especially families with young children, and particularly for those who share their lives with a cat – or perhaps, for those who are ruled by one

✓ Another fun and exciting collaboration between comedian Ted Forsström and Aardman director Åsa Lucander
✓ Sold to the US, Hungary, Turkey and Germany!
✓ The duos previous bedtime story, STELLA, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2023 in Children’s and YA literature
✓ Rights to Stella have been sold to 11 languages and Stiven to 5 languages!

The food is gone! Stiven roars. This is urgent! Come out!

Have you ever thought about how frustrating life can be for a cat? When something as simple as food fails over and over again? For Stiven the Cat, it couldn’t be simpler: if there’s no food on Stiven’s plate, the plate needs to be filled with food. How can an entire family have such a hard time grasping this?

The glutton Stiven is a stubborn drama queen, holding the whole family hostage with one mission: more food immediately! He’s a big personality, alternately majestic and pathetic, and neither mom, dad, the child, nor the baby escapes his constant demands for food and attention. This leads to comedic moments in the everyday life of a young family with a pet, brilliantly captured in Åsa Lucander’s lively illustrations.

Ted Forsström’s text is atmospheric and down-to-earth, with his characteristic playful rhymes occasionally shining through. It’s highly relatable for families with young children and especially for anyone who owns a cat—or is owned by one. The duo’s previous bedtime story, STELLA, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize.

Also available: 

Stella

Stella is full of warmth, playful rhymes and an unusual mix of familiar ordinariness with fantastic antics. Very familiar for anyone trying to combine cozy moments with a pet! Stella is a book you can read again and again, night after night.

KESÄN AINOA KAUNIS PÄIVÄ
WSOY, May 2024, 40 pp. 

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
English text,
Swedish text,
Finnish PDF

The Only Beautiful Day of Summer

Maria Vilja

A life-affirming picture book about a summer day out including both laughter and tears, love and arguing, sunshine and thunder clouds

✓ Nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Children & YA literature and the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize 2025!
✓ Universally relatable theme that is tackled with powerful emotional honesty
✓ Maria Vilja is an author-illustrator with a background in social work and art education. She is also a winner of the Punni award

Maria Vilja skillfully depicts the life of a family with children with all of its emotions. 

The sun and expectations are high when Eila and Aarno finally have a chance to go on a trek outdoors. Huffing and puffing, Mother is packing – something will definitely get forgotten. Then they run to catch the bus – and make it in just the nick of time! But when Aarno starts acting out and the camera gets broken, Mother loses her temper. Eila feels as if the sun has gone out at the very same moment.

Maria Vilja writes and draws about emotions and family relationships in a beautiful, sensitive way. A summer’s day includes both joy and tears, love and arguing, sunshine and thunderclouds. The message of the book is that everyone has a right to experience emotions, both children and adults. The hazy illustrations of the book are as if memories of a bygone summer. 

MERKILLINEN MATKALAUKKU
Tammi, May 2025, 40 pp. 

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF,
Unedited Swedish manuscript
Finnish edition

The Marvelous Suitcase

Sanna Sofia Vuori illustrated by Silja-Maria Wihersaari

A suitcase full of wonders

✓ Sanna Sofia Vuori is a Runeberg Prize and Finlandia Junior Prize nominated children’s author
✓ The books by Sanna Sofia Vuori are cozy reads for both children and adults
✓ Traditional and utterly charming illustrations
✓ Rights sold to Taiwan!

A charming and enchanting children’s tale.

“Daria Duck staggered down the hill, kicking up sand and wobbling her bowler hat. She was on her way to see her best friend, Froberta Frog.”

Daria spots a battered suitcase in Froberta’s gateway. What on earth could be in it?

One by one, the neighbours turn up at Froberta’s house to wonder about the strange suitcase. Each visitor invents a story about what might be inside that reflects their own personality. For example, Simo the Lemon Butterfly’s imagination is full of fairies and dew beads. Etty Snail, on the other hand, thinks the contents will be a rockstar’s guitar. Finally, the suitcase is opened and the contents delight everyone!

PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI JA KAKKAKEIJUN SIIVOUSYLLÄTYS
Otava, May 2025, 40 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Finnish edition

Itty Bitty Princess and the Fart Fairy’s Surprise Clean-Up

Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu

This new Itty Bitty Princess picture book teaches, in true Itty Bitty style, how to keep the children’s room a little tidier and help adults keep their cool

✓ Itty Bitty Princess, the loveliest, naughtiest, and kindest girl in the world! 
✓ Bestselling series, 700,000 copies sold!
✓ Itty Bitty Princess film released in 2024 and second one in development!
✓ Rights of Itty Bitty Princess sold to 6 territories!
✓ Hannele Lampela has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for the Runeberg Junior award 2019, the Storytel Finland Award 2020, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023

Itty Bitty is supposed to clean her room, but she hates cleaning!

Itty Bitty’s dad believes the house should always be neat and tidy, while Itty Bitty thinks it’s perfectly fine to live in a bit of a mess! After all, playing is way more fun than cleaning. Luckily, Itty Bitty comes up with the idea that the Fart Fairy can take care of the cleaning for her. But to her surprise, Dad has his own exciting cleaning plan — and together they find a compromise that makes everyone happy.

Through this story, children will discover the magic of cleaning and finally learn how to keep their rooms in order — for the sake of both grown-ups and fart fairies. 

At the end of the book, a magical cleaning trick is revealed to help keep the home a little tidier. Yay!

Also available Itty Bitty Princess picture books (3+):
Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies (2022)

TERVETULOA, JOULU! PIKKU HIIREN 24 TARINAA
Tammi, September 2025, 100 pp.

Age group: 3+

Reading material:
English sample,
Finnish edition

Welcome, Christmas! 24 Little Mouse Stories

Riikka Jäntti

Waiting for Christmas with Little Mouse!

✓ The Little Mouse series has sold to 23 territories!
✓ Sold to Poland and Estonia pre-publication 
✓ With tips for Christmas crafts and activities
✓ Atmospheric, stand alone Christmas book for the bestselling series!

Even though it’s the darkest time of the year, little mouse and her mother are not discouraged, as the anticipation of Christmas comes with many wonderful things. You can light candles, make snowflakes from tissue paper, build a snow mouse, and bake a gingerbread house. At the daycare, there are fun Christmas parties where they sing and play — but will there be an almond in Hiiru’s porridge? Little Mouse and her mother want to delight the squirrels in the forest by bringing them treats. During the Christmas cleaning, they find old treasures that deserve a new home with a child. And in the Christmas sauna, he becomes squeaky clean. When Christmas arrives, the air sparkles with a sprinkle of Christmas magic!

In this delightful collection of stories, Little Mouse and Mommy Mouse are preparing for the coming Christmas, one story at a time. The book also includes tips for what to do before and during Christmas.

Also available:

Little Mouse picture book series:
The Little Mouse series is an international bestseller with rights sold in over 20 territories. The stories focus on the toddler Little Mouse, who lives with Mummy Mouse and has fun and exciting adventures, whether they go camping, play in the park, or clean up the house in preparation for guests. The lovely illustrations and familiar scenarios make the series relatable for children.

#1: Little Mouse
#2: Little Mouse Helps Out
#3: Little Mouse’s Christmas
#4: Little Mouse’s Holiday
#5: Little Mouse’s Winter
#6: Little Mouse’s Summer
#7: Little Mouse Goes Camping
#8: Little Mouse and the Birthday Present
#9: Little Mouse Welcomes Spring
#10 Little Mouse Goes on a Cruise

Coming in Spring 2026 – book #11: Little Mouse Goes Flying

Little Mouse chapter book series:
The little mouse boy Hiiru, known from the beloved picture books, is ready for grade school where she’ll take on new adventures in illustrated chapter book form! What kind of mischief can happen during a normal school day?

#1: Little Mouse’s School Picture Day
#2: Little Mouse and the Amazing Universe
#3: Little Mouse and Hilarious Halloween

PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ. MÖRÖN OMA KIRJA
Tammi, August 2025, 40 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
English text
Finnish edition

Dark Fairy’s Own Story

Elina Hirvonen, illustrated by Mervi Lindman

Everyone seems to know what Dark Fairies are like and what they love to do. But has anyone ever actually asked one?

✓ With this book children learn important lessons about courage, kindness, and prejudice
✓ In 2023, Elina Hirvonen received the WSOY Literary Foundation Award, recognizing the artistic independence and high standards of her writing
✓ Stand alone book in Princess Rascal series

“This is my story, and I am going to tell it myself-”

In this tender and beautifully illustrated picture book, a dark fairy finally gets the chance to speak for itself. Should we be afraid of it? How did it end up under the bed? What was the turning point in its life? And what does a dark fairy fear…or dream of?

Written by Elina Hirvonen and illustrated by Mervi Lindman, this delightful story gives voice to an often-misunderstood Dark Fairy, teaching important lessons about courage, kindness, and overcoming prejudice through the monster’s own words and experiences.

Also available: 

Princess Rascal (2017)

Princess Rascal and The Potty Words (2019)

Princess Rascal and the Quarrel Spell (2021)

Princess Rascal and the Dark Fairy (2024)

PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI JA KAIKEN MAAILMAN TUNTEET
Otava, September 2025, 64 pp.

Age group: 5+ years

Reading material:
English sample,
Finnish edition

Itty Bitty Princess: All Kinds of Emotions

Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu

Bad temper, joy, love, and fear – all the emotions in the world fit into the life of Itty Bitty Princess!

✓ Bestselling series, over 700,000 copies sold!
✓ Funny, genuine, and filled with heart, the narration captures the authentic voice of a child
✓ Rights of Itty Bitty sold to 6 territories
✓ Hannele Lampela has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for the Runeberg Junior award 2019, the Storytel Finland Award 2020, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023

Itty Bitty Princess is slightly afraid to go to the child health clinic, as they could give her a little jab.

She is full of bubbling joy when she figures out how to persuade her mom to go on a fun adventure-filled trek. And her pride knows no bounds when, on a particularly beautiful day, she does all of her morning chores completely on her own.

In addition to love and all the other wonderful emotions, Itty Bitty Princess’s world also includes negative emotions such as envy and disgust which have their own time and place as well.

Nine captivating and fun stories where both Itty Bitty Princess and the readers learn how to recognize and process emotions.

Also available as Itty Bitty Princess chapter books:
Itty Bitty Princess and the Amazing Amusement Park

Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales
How many more sleeps until Christmas, Itty Bitty Princess?

HIIRU. MAHTAVA MAAILMANKAIKKEUS
Tammi, April 2025, 64 pp., 2c illustrations

Age group: 5+

Reading material:
English PDF
Finnish edition

Little Mouse’s Hilarious Halloween

Riikka Jäntti

The third book in the heartwarming adventures of Little Mouse as a school kid  takes a spine-tingling turn with a Halloween sneak-about!

✓ The Little Mouse series has sold to 23 territories!
✓ Sold to Poland pre-publication
✓ Action-packed and humorous trick-or-treat!

Candy and Chills!

The students are buzzing with excitement! It’s Halloween, and they get to wear costumes to school and eat candy during lessons! But Little Mouse is feeling down. Her backpack has gone missing, along with all her treats, her pencil case, books, house keys, and even her phone!

Can the magic dice show her the way to her lost bag, or will they lead her deep into the shadows of the school’s spooky basement?

Also available:

#1 Little Mouse’s School Picture Day
The little mouse Hiiru, known from the beloved picture books, is ready for grade school where she’ll take on new adventures in illustrated chapter book form! What kind of mischief can happen during a normal school day?

#2 Little Mouse and the Amazing Universe
Another adventure of a relatable little mouse as he goes to school. The kids receive an interesting school assignment from space. Which planet is the largest or smallest? Which one is the best of all?

Also check out the Little Mouse Picture Book series!

HIRVIÖHOITOLA: KARTANON KUMMAJAISET
Karisto, January 2023, 45 pp.

HIRVIÖHOITOLA: LOISTAVA LUURANKOINEN
Karisto, September 2023, 43 pp.

HIRVIÖHOITOLA: HIRVEÄ HELKATTI
Karisto, February 2024, 40 pp.

HIRVIÖHOITOLA: VIKKELÄ VETIKKO
Karisto, September 2025, 41 pp.

Age group: 6+

Reading material:
English sample,
Finnish editions

Monster Care Series

J. S. Meresmaa, illustrated by Emma Rautala

A fun and wild monster series for children learning to read!

✓ Easy-to-read series for early readers – clear language and engaging pacing offers a fresh twist on monster stories
✓ The books explore the special bond between stepsisters, reflecting the joys and challenges of modern extended families with themes of empathy, bravery and friendship
✓ J. S. Meresmaa’s is an award-winning author whose middle-grade novel, Darkclaw, was awarded with 2024 Tähtipöllö Award and tied for second place Kuopus Award 2024, she is a winner of 2020 & 2023 Kuopus Award, and a nominee in 2023 for Kuvastaja Award and Tähtifantasia Award
✓ Monster Care series is set in the same Monster-Finland world as the middle-grade Monster Manor series! Children can start reading with Monster Care and grow into Monster Manor for more adventures in a familiar world

Welcome to Monster Care, where magical creatures need gentle care and brave hearts! In the series, young readers join Lotta and Lili on funny, mysterious adventures as they help skeleton birds, nervous hellcats, and more in a spooky, yet sweet, world full of surprises.

Book #1: The Manor Misfits
Lotta and Lili arrive in Monster Manor to spend their summer with their aunt Elviira. Aunt Elviira warns them of the ghosts in the manor, but the girls know that there are no such things. At night, however, they start to hear peculiar sounds, and a translucent figure appears from the wall. Might it be that ghosts do actually exist? And what if they are nice people after all?

An unforgettable summer is in store, as this place is not your average manor, but a monster manor full of proper ghosts and weird creatures!

Book #2: The Shiny Skeletonbird
How does one tame a fierce skeleton bird? The easy-reading and exciting Monster Care series continues.

Lili and Lotta have settled down at their aunt Elviira’s place in Monster Manor that takes care of different monsters and curious creatures. Time itself behaves differently in the manor: morning is day and day is morning! The trainee monster carers accidentally wake up a sleeping skeleton bird. How to make the creature and its frighteningly brightly shining eyes calm down?

Book #3: The Horrific Hellcat
The easy-reading and exciting Monster Care series continues. How does one tame a skittish hellcat?

Lili, Lotta, and twins Mia and Mateo find fool’s gold all over the floors of Monster Manor. The messy hellcat has managed to get into the manor! The children have their hands full in figuring out how to get the kitty safely out of the house. As it turns out, it is terrified of humans.

Book #4: The Wily Water Devil
A water devil is loose! All kinds of things happen in the easy-reading and exciting Monster Care series.

Lili and Lotta are spending their summer in the Monster Manor, a place that takes care of monsters. During the night, Lotta starts feeling homesick, but, luckily, her mind becomes occupied by a puzzling task: they have to catch an injured water devil who has left puddles all over the floor. How will they coax the elusive creature out of hiding?

KAPLAMAK
Tammi, May 2024, 184 pp. 

Age group: 7+ years

Reading material:
English sample
Swedish edition
Finnish edition

Kaplamak – A Circus Summer

Sanna Sofia Vuori illustrated by Jonna Jylhä

“Brings to mind, among other things, Alice in Wonderland…”
– Svenska Yle

✓ 2024 Arvid Lydecken Prize nominee
✓ Fun-filled adventure suited for readers of many ages
✓ The quirky characters of slightly wild humans and animals bring a touch of anarchy – without chaos!

Pastel dreamy circus magic! Step into the enchanting Kaplamak – a city where anything can happen! A place that you never want to leave. 

This irresistibly original children’s novel takes place in a magical city named Kaplamak in Southern Finland. Surprising events start to take place when Elle travels from Helsinki to her grandmother’s place in Kaplamak to spend her summer holiday there. The traditionally sleepy Finnish summer starts to get fantastical hues when no-one is what they seem to be…

It turns out that Elle’s grandmother does ‘all sorts of chores’ in the local circus. Elle quickly befriends a juggler named Blanka and gets caught up in a fascinating world that smells of sawdust and popcorn. However, it turns out that all the star performers of the circus have disappeared! When Elle starts to uncover this mystery, she realizes she has unforeseen powers and abilities of a private detective.

TONTTU
Tammi, October 2024, 128 pp.

Age group: 7+ 

Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition

The Elf

Sanna Isto, illustrated by Silja-Maria Wihersaari

A warm-hearted story about a boy named Eeli and a mysterious red beanie

✓ A heartwarming Christmas tale for the whole family with strong Nordic atmosphere
✓ For the fans of Astrid Lindgren
✓ The book was nominated for Lasten LukuVarkaus Children‘s Literature prize 2025!
✓ Sanna Isto is a two-time winner of the Arvid Lydecken award (2012 & 2017) and has been nominated twice for the Finlandia Prize (2017 & 2023), Topelius Prize and Young Aleksis Award in (2019 & 2024)

Eeli’s winter starts out promising as snow billows and the weather is near perfection for sledding. But how can one have fun when there is always someone bothering or bullying you? To Eeli’s dismay, Väinö enjoys sledding on the same slope as Eeli, leaving Eeli with no choice but to find something else to do. He can’t tell his mother about it, as his mother is still recuperating from an operation and she’s not to be worried. On top of everything, Eeli’s older sister Helmi is acting out and snappy.

Eeli´s life changes when he finds an ordinary looking red beanie in the snow and when it turns out that it is not an ordinary beanie after all…

STOP SECRET. VAARALLINEN VAAHTOPÄÄ
Tammi, September 2025, 120 pp.

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
English sample (book 1) & synopsis (books 1-3)
Finnish editions

Stop Secret Mysteries #3: The Wicked Wave

Ilona Ahti, illustrated by Miila Westin

An irresistibly funny and imaginative middle-grade mystery series for fans of Roald Dahl!

✓ A wildly creative series that blends laugh-out-loud humor with child-friendly mysteries that spark curiosity and engagement
✓ Book #1 won the Runeberg Junior Honorary Prize 2024 and was nominated for the LukuVarkaus award!
✓ Miila Westin is a Finlandia Junior Prize-winning illustrator (2020), whose books have been sold into 14 languages!
✓ Ilona Ahti is an award-winning TV and film screenwriter and co-writer of the film Girl Picture, winner of the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award

Sea Sheep on the Horizon!

In the third book of this lively children’s series, the Stop Secret Club dives into a thrilling new mystery—right in the heart of summer! 

The gang sets off to spend Midsummer at Maisa’s cottage, but before they even arrive, the adventure begins! On the way, the friends encounter a shipwrecked sheep bobbing in the waves. 

But something strange is happening at the cottage. Smoke drifts from the fireplace – without a fire. A sure sign of a Sauna Elf. One clue leads to another, and soon the threads of a new mystery begin to unravel.

Get ready for cool splashes, wild waves, and a Midsummer mystery you won’t forget!

Also available: 

#1: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster
#2: The Ghost of the Bottomless Pit

ISÄMIES JA SALAPERÄINEN NUKKEMESTARI
Otava, February 2025, 176 pp., 4c illustrations

ISÄMIES JA KAKSOISOLENTOKATASTROFI
Otava, April 2024, 144 pp., 4c illustrations

ISÄMIES JA MAHDOTON AIKASOLMU
Otava, January 2023, 176 pp., 4c illustrations

ISÄMIES JA HYYTÄVÄ HYPNOOSI
Otava, January 2022, 192 pp., 4c illustrations

ISÄMIES JA PAHA PIKKUVELI
Otava, February 2021, 176 pp., 4c illustrations

ISÄMIES JA RÄJÄHTÄVÄ KAKKA
Otava, June 2020, 176 pp., 4c illustrations

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
Finnish pdfs books 1-6
German edition books 1-2
Danish edition book 1
English sample book 4
English synopses of books 1-6

The Dad Man Series

Arttu Unkari, illustrated by Kai Vaalio

The quirkiest cop in town! The Dad Man Series offers fast-paced adventures and humour for all ages – especially lower middle grade

✓ Bestselling series: over 200,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓ Rights sold to Germany (3 books), Denmark (2 books) and Poland (2 books)!
✓ Perfect for reluctant readers and for fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants
✓ Books in the series have been recognized with Best Newcomer of the Year 2020, and the Runeberg Prize 2023!
✓ Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

Dad Man is a dad, and a policeman – but he also has a superpower! Too bad his superpower is one shared by almost all dads – an unwavering belief in himself and his own abilities. Dad Man truly believes he knows everything and can do anything, but as it goes with most dads, the reality is quite different. And it follows that Dad Man’s nine-year-old daughter Oona needs to solve all of the issues herself.

Books in the DAD MAN series:

#1: Dad Man and the Exploding Poop
#2: Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother
#3: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis
#4: Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp
#5: Dad Man and the Doppelgänger Disaster
#6: Dad Man and the Mysterious Puppet Master

Also available: bedtime storybooks from the DAD MAN universe Dad Man’s Idiotic Tales and Dad Man’s Idiotic Tales 2.

PRANKENSTEININ MORSIAN
Tammi, May 2025, 112 pp.

PRANKENSTEIN
Tammi, March 2024, 112 pp.

Age group: 7+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDFs
Finnish editions

Bride of Prankenstein

Kaisa Paasto, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu

The very popular Prankenstein is back! Well, not quite.

After the previous prank disaster, Elmeri has sworn off pranks for good. No more pranks. At all. Zilch. Until someone starts pulling pranks on Principal Ruustinen, making it look like Elmeri is behind it. And things just keep getting worse…

✓ Illustrator Mari Ahokoivu won the Puupäähattu Comic Book Award 2023 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 2021
✓ A sequel to PRANKENSTEIN from the successful author-illustrator duo
✓ For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
✓ The World Spanish rights to PRANKENSTEIN were sold alongside with the rights to Latvia and Poland
✓ Full English text available

Elmeri is excited about the big trip to Stockholm with Mima (the girl next door who’s “pretty okay”) and the other members of the student council. But now Principal Ruustinen wants to punish Elmeri, and the whole trip is on the line!

It’s clear that Elmeri’s arch-nemesis Leo is behind all of this – or is he?

The original Prankenstein has to come out of retirement. He can’t just rest on his laurels when great deeds are waiting to be done.

Also available:

Prankenstein:
The fifth grader Elmeri has never seriously considered a career as a prankster. But he manages to do a superbly great prank – completely accidentally. Elmeri’s cousin Robin thinks his chance has come and becomes Elmeri’s Personal Prankster Trainer. With his coaching, Elmeri will be the amazing Prankenstein and his best prank will be remembered by future generations!

#4 PAINAJAISPUOTI: KRISTALLIKALLON TAPAUS
WSOY, January 2025, 56 pp.

Age group: 5+ years

#3 PAINAJAISPUOTI: HIRMUINEN JUMIMIES
WSOY, February 2021, 64 pp.

#2 PAINAJAISPUOTI: HAMPAAT HUKASSA
WSOY, July 2019, 64 pp.

#1 PAINAJAISPUOTI: KAMALA KUTITUSPULVERI
WSOY, July 2018, 64 pp.

Age group: 7+ years

Reading material:
English pdfs of Books 1-4
Finnish editions

 The Little Shop of Nightmares series

Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

A chapter book series full of quirky characters and inventive plotlines – workdays are never dull in the Little Shop of Nightmares

✓ Super success: rights sold in 30 territories!
✓ Now in a a wonderful new picture book format!
✓ Book #5 to be published in 2026 – the adventure continues!
✓ Mystery and horror paired with laugh-out-loud humour for younger middle grade
✓ With quirky 4-colour illustrations on every page, this series is perfect for first-time and reluctant readers!
✓ Magdalena Hai is the winner of the Finlandia Prize in Children and YA literature 2023!

Nine-year-old Nina starts her job at the Little Shop of Nightmares where she meets a bunch of weird characters – and befriends them! Spooky, quirky, and full of humour, this series for younger middle grade readers ticks all the boxes – no wonder it has been translated in 30 territories! 

Book #4 CRYSTAL SKULL:
The Little Shop of Nightmares crew finds out that a pirate sailing competition is coming to town! Competing to be the fastest pirate ship are the Ghosts, the Zombies, the Sirens and the Better Pirates – all of whom want the Crystal Skull that has been given to Mr. Kook for safekeeping at the Little Shop of Nightmares.

When the Crystal Skull suddenly goes missing from the shop, little Nina and her friends start their investigation – and the suspects are a-plenty!

Also available:
Book #1 THE TERRIBLE TICKLING POWDER:
When Nina, 9 years, etners the Little Shop of Nightmares in hopes of getting a job, she is greeted by an odd sight: shopkeeper Mr. Kook is rolling on the floow, unable to stop laughing.

Book #2 THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING TEETH:
Nina goes to buy ice cream after her first work day at The Little Shop of Nightmares. But at the ice cream shop she discovers a vampire – without teeth!

Book #3 STICKY THE TERRIBLE SNOWMAN:
The Little Shop of Nightmares is getting buried in snow! Nina and Paddy are trying to find the cause of the snowstorm, but that’s easier said than done.

FLEAK – KEKSELIÄS YSTÄVÄNI
Otava, September 2025, 160 pp.

Age group: 9+

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

Fleak

Antti Haikala and Teemu Auersalo

Based on the upcoming Finnish animated film, Fleak is a heartwarming and wildly imaginative journey for the whole family!

✓ In the spirit of Pixar films – a magical tale that is  funny and moving
✓ An adventure about resilience, family and the courage to face your fears
✓ Perfect for readers +9
✓ Film rights sold to 50 countries, including the USA, France, Spain, the Nordics, and Poland

The life of 11-year-old Tuomas is turned upside down when tagging along with his older sister and older brother leads to a horrible accident. Tuomas loses his ability to walk and ends up in a wheelchair.

Amid his gloomy thoughts, a spark of hope glistens when a mysterious creature appears in Tuomas’s room. The small, colorful creature that calls itself Fleak takes Tuomas to his home dimension where the newly-found friends are drawn into a fast-paced adventure.

Fleak is an enchantingly written and abundantly illustrated story about the power of imagination, courage, and friendship. The book is based on a Finnish animated film by the same name premiering in fall 2025.

SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA HÖVELI HENKI
Otava, June 2025, 173 pp., b&w illustrations

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
English samples & synopses
Finnish editions

Mabel Merryweather and the Gentle Genie

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

Mabel Merryweather is BACK! Part five of the furiously funny children’s mystery series by a Finnish children’s book author who loves Roald Dahl and crazy stories!

✓ Series sold to 9 territories!
✓ Winner of the Prix Chronos 2023 in Switzerland! The prize honours books for children that depict conviviality and exchange between different generations

What happens when Pippi Longstocking meets Miss Marple? Meet the eccentric supergranny Mabel Merryweather in this middle grade mystery series full of quirky characters and hilarious plot twists!

A well-known antiquarian arrives in Dalton to evaluate people’s old belongings. While rummaging through Mabel’s storage room, Nick and Lilly find an old bottle that has been inhabited by a genie who has now disappeared. According to Mabel, the genie fulfills all wishes but he is half deaf, meaning that the wishes are rarely fulfilled correctly.

People’s treasures start to disappear and other peculiar incidents are plaguing Dalton. A cruise ship appears on a lake and 15 muscle-flexing bodybuilders appear on the town square. It takes the ingenuity of Nick, Lilly, and Mabel and the help of the gentle genie to catch the villains.

Also available:

Book #1 Mabel Merryweather and the Miniature Pirates (2019)
Book #2 Mabel Merryweather and King of Thieves (2020)
Book #3 Mabel Merryweather and Cheesy Mystery (2021)
Book #4 Mabel Merryweather and the Crowbar Gala (2022)

LUMOLA 2: SYSIVESI
Karisto, April 2025, 154 pp.

Age group: 9+

Reading material:
English sampleb (book 1)
English synopsis (books 1-2)
Finnish edition

Monster Manor series #2: Black Water

J. S. Meresmaa, illustrated by Elina Äijälä

Second part of the captivatingly bone-chilling middle-grade horror trilogy

✓ Engaging middle-grade horror, with mystery and heart-pounding adventure!
✓ Captivating and relatable variety of characters
✓ Book #1 Darkclaw won the 2024 Tähtipöllö Award and was tied for second place for Kuopus Award 2024!
✓ J. S. Meresmaa is a winner of 2020 & 2023 Kuopus Award, and a nominee in 2023 for Kuvastaja Award and Tähtifantasia Award
✓ Monster Manor series is set in the same Monster-Finland world as the Monster Care series! Children can start reading with Monster Care and grow into Monster Manor for more adventures in a familiar world

Fear always has friends. 

Aapo has started working at the Monster Manor, home to many types of monsters. When a sickly and foul-smelling mud creature needs help, he sets out on his first monster hunt with his new friends.

Aapo’s mind, however, is haunted by the blackdread’s attack that left a nasty scratch mark on his chest. Nobody knows what the blackdread’s claws might do to a human. Aapo’s mysterious colleague Usva is also an enigma. Many things about Usva and Monster Manor remind Aapo of his recently deceased grandfather. How are all these things connected? It feels as if darkness is spreading around Aapo…

Also available:

Book #1: Darkclaw
13-year-old Aapo has moved to the village of Black Gorge. One day he sees a mysterious character whose tattoo bears a striking resemblance to the one his recently deceased grandfather had. Could it be a coincidence? When Aapo ends up playing disc golf near the woods of Lumola Manor, it seems that there are other strange things going on in the village. Aapo encounters his first monster – and the estate is full of them.

While not all the monsters living in the manor are dangerous, some of them are. Aapo begins to have nightmares about the looming darkness. Soon he finds himself caught in the middle of events, where dreams and truth mix into an unstoppable vortex.

MARSU JA LUMPEENA KELLUMISEN TAITO
WSOY, April 2025, 144 pp.

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition

Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Reetta Niemensivu

From the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of Agnes and Monster Nanny comes a gently humorous children’s novel about Margo and her new family dynamics

✓ Tuutikki Tolonen is an Arvid Lydecken award-winning author and her Monster Nanny series has been sold into 37 territories!
✓ Addresses the topic of two homes and separation from a child’s perspective in a realistic, comforting, and age-appropriate way
✓ For the fans of Jacqueline Wilson

“Kids. Tomorrow we’re having a family meeting.”

Nine-year-old Marigold, nicknamed Marsu, has her ordinary life turned upside down when her parents call a family meeting. Soon, instead of one home, they have two. Dad suddenly has a strange new beard, Mom buys a car and is learning to park and secretly cries, and her little brother, of course, doesn’t understand a thing – he’s just thrilled to have two sets of toys in two homes. The true nature of things becomes clear to the children only gradually. 

Marsu, on the other hand, sees everything with her new hawk-like vision. Marsu spots her dad marching alongside with a man, she doesn’t recognize. But even Marsu’s sharp gaze softens when she realizes that while her parents may be separating from each other, they’re not separating from their children.

ALLE AALLON
Tammi, April 2025, 150 pp.

Age group: 12+

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

Twin World Series #1: Saving Atlantis

Siri Kolu

A myth-busting, suspense-filled series for a late middle grade and early YA audience

✓ Sold to Hungary!
✓ Siri Kolu’s previous books have been translated to 22 languages
✓ She is the winner of 2010 Finlandia Junior Prize, Topelius Prize and has been awarded in the Netherlands with Silver Slate Pencil Award
✓ For the readers of Susan Cooper: Above Sea, Below Stone series and Rick Riordan’s myth books

Can Atlantis be saved before disaster strikes?

12-year-old El(ektra) starts sleepwalking and has recurring nightmares of masses of water under which there is no escape. After doing research with her friends Maxxam and Cal, El discovers that the underwater city in her nightmares is ancient Atlantis.

In the city of Atlantis, young Elektra has strange dreams at night about tall glass towers and flying planes. With inventor genius Dobro, Elektra begins to test whether the visions could be real. Based on the dreams, they build a submarine called a wave diver.

Can the Elektras help each other? Can they be rescued from under the waves…and what would it cost?

PAAVALI PATTINEN – KATALA KÄTYRI
Otava, June 2025, 144 pp., 4c illustrations

PAAVALI PATTINEN – VIHOVIIMEINEN KOULUPÄIVÄ
Otava, May 2024, 128 pp., 4c illustrations

PAAVALI PATTINEN – VIHOVIIMEINEN KOULUPÄIVÄ
Otava, 2023, 144 pp., 4c illustrations

PAAVALI PATTINEN – SUPERNOLO SUPERSANKARI
Otava, 2022, 151 pp., 4c illustrations

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
English sample book 1 & synopses books 1-4
Finnish editions
Danish edition books 1-2

Benjamin Bateman Series #4:
Benjamin Bateman and the Wicked Sidekick

Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

What if your superhero costume looked like a butterfly and your only superpowers would be having a good heart and a lively imagination? Welcome to the embarrassing life of Benjamin Bateman!

✓ Award-winning and bestselling series by writer-illustrator super team Hannele Lampela and Pasi Pitkänen!
✓ Film in development! 
✓ Rights sold to Denmark (3 books!)
✓ Nominee for the Arvid Lydecken Award 2023
✓ Sold almost 25,000 copies
✓ 5th and final book coming in 2026

Benjamin Bateman is stunned when he finds out that he is part of a family of superheroes. Who would’ve believed that about poor Benjamin? Benjamin’s superhero costume is quite embarrassing though – a butterfly. And his superpower is even more mortifying – having a good heart and great imagination! But when Benjamin must battle the terrifying Mortem, his imagination will come in handy. 

NEW #4: Benjamin Bateman and the Wicked Sidekick

Benjamin Bateman’s seemingly ordinary math teacher, Mr. Saunder, turns out to be none other than his terrifying arch-nemesis, Sir Jekku. Even worse, Sir Jekku has teamed up with Mortem, a sinister figure who has tormented the Bateman family for generations. But could there be a third villain in their midst — someone pretending to be Benjamin’s friend?

In the fourth thrilling installment of the Benjamin Bateman series, the dark truth finally emerges: why does Mortem delight in hunting down members of the Bateman family? Grandpa holds a grim secret — one that led to Mortem’s very existence. But how can you defeat an arch-nemesis who only grows stronger from fighting, conflict, and chaos?

Could it be that Benjamin’s greatest superpower — his kind heart — is the key to resolving the entire adventure?

Benjamin Bateman and the Wicked Sidekick flips traditional hero stories on their head, proving that the strongest hero isn’t always the toughest, and that enemies aren’t defeated by cruelty or violence.

Also available:
#1: Benjamin Bateman Super Embarrassed Superhero (2022)
#2: Benjamin Bateman and the Curse of the Mind-Popping Pranks (2023)
#3: Benjamin Bateman and the Worst Day of School (2024)

LASKE SALAA KYMMENEEN
WSOY, September 2023, 206 pp.

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Swedish translation
Finnish edition

Count Silenty to Ten

Laura Lähteenmäki

A novel about friendship, growing up, and the importance of childhood play: a summer on the border between childhood and adolescence

✓ Nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize 2024!
✓ Rights sold to 7 countries!

Myy, Viivi, Heta, Aada, and Camilla are a close-knit group of five girls who call themselves Pätkikset. But as the fourth grade draws to a close, Myy finds that something has changed. She feels that she’s no longer part of the gang. She notices that lively conversations fall silent when she approaches her friends. When the girls hug each other in a tight circle, there’s no room for Myy.

Count Silently to Ten is a story about friendship between girls and the changes that come about as you grow up, but which are difficult to accept. Myy is left out and feels that there may be something wrong with her, since she still wants to play and isn’t interested in make-up and growing up. As things become difficult with the girls, a new boy in the area provides a wonderful opportunity for Myy to throw herself into the world of play. Myy and Lassi run to a nearby forest and immerse themselves in a joint game where time and space disappear.

The novel describes a summer on the border between childhood and adolescence. Although the book depicts childhood in our time, the portrayal of play captures the timeless charm and power of childhood games.

POIKA ULLAKOLLA, POIKA KELLARISSA
Tammi, March 2024, 200 pp., b&w illustrations

Age group: 9+

Reading material:
English sample with illustrations & synopsis
Finnish edition

The Secret Staircase

Salla Simukka, illustrated by JP Ahonen

What would you do if you found a secret room in your house? A story about friendship and two boys in two worlds

✓ Nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2024 in Children’s & YA Literature!
✓ Rights sold to Czechia, Estonia and Hungary!
✓ Winner of the 2024 KUOPUS prize for best children’s novel voted by influencers and bloggers
✓ Grounded fantasy with a classic feel for fans of Michael Ende and Maria Gripe
✓ Salla Simukka is the recipient of the Topelius Prize 2013 and Finland Prize 2013 and has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award every year since 2021. Her Snow White trilogy was sold into 53 territories
✓ JP Ahonen is a comic book artist and illustrator whose unique Belzebubs project has achieved cult status internationally

An exciting and touching novel about two boys, who live in the same house but in different realities. Can their friendship cross the border separating two worlds?

10-year-old Alexis’ family moves to a house where he gets the attic room. Another 10-year-old-boy, Max, moves to a house, where a great basement room is waiting for him. Soon the boys notice something weird in their houses: Alexis hears voices under the floor, even though they don’t have a basement. Max’s ears pick up someone playing an instrument from the attic, even though no one is there.

When the two boys finally meet, they realize that they can visit each other’s worlds at night time. But will their friendship endanger everything when the worlds start to blur into each other?

MANTIKORAN
Förlaget, September 2024, 96 pp., 4c illustrations

Age group: 10+

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Swedish edition

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff, illustrated by Peter Bergting

A middle-grade novel and supernatural thriller that turns a young girl’s emotions into a magic-realistic fantasy adventure – can her new stepmother be trusted or is she a dangerous ancient monster?

✓ Danish and Ukrainian rights sold!
✓ Maria Turtschaninoff is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a winner of the 2014 Finlandia Prize and has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award every year 2020-2024! Her children’s and YA titles have sold to 30 languages.
✓ TANGLED ROOTS (Inherited Land), Maria Turtschaninoff’s first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022 and sold to 23 languages
✓ Peter Bergting is one of Sweden’s most renowned comic book artists and fantasy and children book illustrators

The Manticore is a highly illustrated middle grade novel. This supernatural thriller is told from the perspective of a young girl called Li,  who starts suspecting that her stepmother is in fact a Manticore, an ancient monster intending on devouring the protagonist and her baby brother. She realizes that no one can help her because no one would believe her. So as the Manticore starts fattening up the children, the protagonist hunts for a way to defeat her. She soon realizes that the only way to kill a Manticore is with a mythical object: the horn of a unicorn. But where can she possibly find one?

KUOLLEET TYTÖT EIVÄT TANSSI 
Myllylahti, August 2025, 240 pp.

Age group: 14+

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample & synopsis

Dead Girls Don’t Dance

Jenni Multisilta

Dead Girls Don’t Dance is the first partin a YA thriller series, @buriedpodies, that seeks to solve previously unsolved murders and the relationship tangles of modern high school students

✓ A gripping YA thriller perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Alice Oceman and Adam Silvera
✓ Combining Nordic crime with YA suspense
✓ Easy to position in booktok/bookstagram

Chilling suspense in bleak suburban neighborhoods, gripping plot twists, and heartwarming friendships – Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper and Adam Silvera’s YA novels.

16-year-old Oona must start high school without any familiar friends when her family moves back to her childhood hometown of Pori. On her very first day, she overhears a chilling story about a girl who was murdered in the school’s locker room – and soon realizes it’s about her older sister Roosa, who died fourteen years ago. Oona was told Roosa, a talented dancer, took her own life, but could there be something darker behind her sister’s mysterious death?

The thought haunts Oona, even as she immerses herself in dance and navigates the colorful, chaotic world of high school. Determined to uncover the truth, Oona teams up with her friend Kaisla, Rafael, a true crime podcaster, and Roosa’s stepsister Rosanna to investigate Roosa’s death. But their search quickly takes a dark and dangerous turn. The murderer is still out there and willing to silence anyone who digs too deep. Why do Oona’s own parents seem to be hiding secrets of their own?

PETO
Tammi, August 2025, 260 pp.

Age group: 12+ 

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

The Beast

Sanna Isto

A masterful YA novel about power, courage, and the beasts around us

✓ By juxtaposing bullying and animal rights the novel seems to ask: how realistic is it to combat the abuse of power in one place if it is simultaneously permitted in another?
✓ Sanna Isto is a two-time winner of the Arvid Lydecken award (2012 & 2017) and has been nominated twice for the Finlandia Prize (2017 & 2023), Topelius Prize and Young Aleksis Award in (2019 & 2024)
✓ In the original Finnish edition Pixi’s gender is left undefined to encourage readers to reflect their own assumptions

What do you do when you know, but are too afraid to intervene?

Pixi moves out from her home to start school in a new environment. Very soon, they notice that although the school is new, the problems are the same. Bullies circle around a nice classmate and no-one seems to notice anything. How can one intervene when one is afraid of becoming bullied as well? Pixi pours their emotions into murals that she makes on the school courtyard at night. But after each night, a new morning dawns and none of their murals have remained unchanged. Is someone making fun of them? Is someone secretly watching them from the shadows? 

Pixi becomes even more careful. They identify with the fox that roams the area hoping that like the fox, Pixi too, could survive by avoiding dangers. However, when the fox’s instinct also fails one day, Pixi realizes that time has come to step forward.

NELJÄT SYNTYMÄPÄIVÄT JA YHDET HAUTAJAISET
Tammi, September 2025, 243 pp.

Age group: 12+

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

Four Birthdays and a Funeral

Salla Simukka

Four Birthdays and a Funeral tells about longlasting friendships, ”it’s complicated” love affairs, secrets and sorrows that are kept hidden and what it really means to become an adult. And how a tight group of friends can remain close if one of them dies.

✓ For the fans of Becky Albertalli and John Green, a new contemporary YA novel from Salla Simukka
✓ Salla Simukka is the recipient of the Topelius Prize 2013 and Finland Prize 2013 and has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award every year since 2021
✓ Her Snow White trilogy was sold into 53 territories
✓ Her previous middle-grade novel The Secret Staircase was nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2024 in Children’s & YA Literature!

An entire lifetime could fit into a year when you turn eighteen

Four youths, four birthdays – and a funeral. Salla Simukka’s latest YA novel unveils, bit by bit, the greatest sorrows and secrets of a group of friends.

Sara, Elle, Amir, and Eetu have been a tightly-knit group of friends since they were eight years old. They have shared everything with each other and have been inseparable. Now, the year has come when they all turn 18. Reaching adulthood means different things to each of them. Could adulthood inexorably drive them apart? How many secrets could be contained in a friendship? And what things have happened in the past that have been left undealt with?

The time has come to blow the candles and make a wish.

ANACHÉ: MYTER FRÅN AKKADE
Schildts & Söderströms, October 2012, / Förlaget, 2025, 380 pp.

Age group: 15+

Reading material:
Swedish edition

Anaché

Maria Turtschaninoff

A mythic, emotionally powerful and unique fantasy from the award-winning author of Tangled Roots!

✓ Maria Turtschaninoff’s YA series Red Abbey Chronicles has been sold to 31 territories, and her first adult novel to 23 territories!
✓ Maria Turtschaninoff is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Prize!
✓ Timeless themes of grief, gender identity, queerness, and rebellion feel even more relevant today.
✓ Rich, literary fantasy with strong feminist and queer themes

Anaché is an unforgettable novel – fierce, tender, and deeply human!

Anaché grows up in a nomadic family, under the strict discipline of her father. Her beloved brother Huor teaches her to hunt, fight and ride a horse, things that girls are not usually allowed to do. Anaché’s future is mapped out for her, just like it is for all the girls in the tribe. After a difficult winter, Anaché’s mother and brother die. Her grief is so strong that in order to hold on to her loved ones, she becomes someone else.

Anaché was originally published in 2012, and still feels astonishingly timely. In her fantasy novel, Maria Turtschaninoff explores themes of trans identity, gender roles, climate change, and patriarchal power. But above all, it is a sweeping, irresistible story just like Turtschaninoff’s first adult novel Tangled Roots (Arvejord).

SKUTSI
Nokkahiiri, September 2024, 200 pp.

Age group: 14+

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample & synopsis

Deep in the Woods

Päivi Lukkarila

Four very different teens sent on a smartphone-free wilderness expedition… Finlandia Prize Winning and bestselling mystery story for 14+!

✓ Rights sold to 4 territories!
✓Stand by Me meets The Blair Witch Project
✓ Winner of the prestigious Finlandia Prize 2024 in Children’s & YA Literature
✓ Sold close to 8,000 copies!
✓ An engaging and gripping story that leaves room for imagination

Luka feels like he’s in high school only to satisfy his parents. Why bother with something you’re not interested in?

Sabina’s relationship with Nella has ended. Nella liked her when she was just “conveniently” queer, girly and long-haired. Now that Sabina has decided to be who she always wanted to be, Nella has left her. How do the other three participants in the hike feel about her?

Nasim, from Nokia, dreams of studying literature and becoming a writer, but is constantly confronted with prejudice.

Joel is convinced that one day he’ll be a world-famous stand-up comedian. Comedy’s tough, and it’s easy to overdo it when you’re trying to make people laugh. Joel tells a very different story about his background. What’s real, and what is he making up?

The expedition is only supposed to last three days, but a fateful event changes everything and the teens have to survive in the wild without their guide. They try to entertain each other with ghost stories, and as they tell them, their own frightening childhood experiences come back to haunt them. There seems to be something creepy about their surroundings. What was it in there that spooked all the tourists and will the four be left to wander the wilds until their final days?

TYTÖT, TYTÖT, TYTÖT 
Tammi, January 2025, 171 pp.

Age group: 14+

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample & synopsis

Girls, Girls, Girls

Ilona Ahti and Daniela Hakulinen

A novel about three different high school girls experiencing larger-than-life events, a refreshing break with traditional expectations. A future classic with lots of crossover potential from YA to NA!

 ✓ From the celebrated writer duo behind the award-winning film Girl Picture, Finland’s 2022 Oscar entry, which won 4 Finnish Oscar’s (Jussi Awards) including Best Film and Best Screenplay
✓ Winner of the 2022 Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival, and Best Children’s & Youth Film and Youth Jury Prize at Nordic Film Days Lübeck, and Best Narrative Feature at OUTshine Miami
✓ The film screened at over 30 festivals worldwide, such as BFI Flare (UK), Berlin International Film Festival (Germany), and Sundance Film Festival (USA)
✓ The film was distributed in 20 countries including Germany (Salzgeber & Co); US (Strand Releasing), Eastern Europe (HBO Europe) and Korea (Watcha)

In frosty Helsinki, the lives of three teenage girls change over the course of three weekends. They discover sex, love and friendship, but most of all, they discover their own voices.

Mimmi has decided not to believe in love, while her best friend Rönkkö thirsts for connection. The two work together at a smoothie bar, where one day they meet Emma.

The figure skating prodigy Emma finds herself in the middle of a bet on whether you can fall in love with just one look. Mimmi and Emma quickly form an irresistible bond, the kind of attraction between them that Rönkkö dreams of. In the end, each of them must ask themselves what they are prepared to fight for.

Ilona Ahti and Daniela Hakulinen’s unabashed text lets the girls’ feelings and thoughts bleed through the pages. The novel deepens and adds new layers to the story of the successful film written by the duo. Girl Picture hit the big screens in 2022, winning awards both in Finland and internationally.

PRAISE FOR THE MOVIE

LUMINA
Spellpolaris, February 2024, 375 pp.

Age group: 14+

Reading material:
Full English text
Finnish edition

Lumina

Heidi Roth

An YA adventure fantasy of the ancient North and the shaman girl Lumina

✓ “Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings” Nordic mythology story
✓ Unique mix of Finnish mythology & adventure with fantasy elements
✓ Rooted in Nordic folklore, Lumina introduces readers to unique characters, ancient runic spells, and timeless lessons
✓ Full English manuscript available!

Lumina lives in the mythological world called Middler and she is being trained as the next shaman of her bear tribe. Lumina needs to get the power of the forest and water people and the secrets of spell poems in order to increase her knowledge. However, the threat of Louhi, the ruler of Pohjola, is hovering over Middler, and there are signs which lay the shadow to their lives.

When the forest people; human-like goblins take Lumina’s friend and loved one, warrior son Kaleva to Underer, a world beneath of Middler, Lumina’s adventure begins. Lumina must find out why the Firefoxes have come down from the sky and burned half of Middler’s land. 

In her journey, she meets other fellow travellers’; Deer King who used to be the ruler of the North, Tonttu who is a mysterious elf and Sumua who is the daughter of the Forest King Tapio. All of them have their own strengths and they become good friends . With the help of the learned shamanic skills, Lumina is able to see the secrets of the three worlds, from the Middler through the dark shadows of Underer all the way to the Abover, the realm of the ancient northern gods.

The storyworld has been designed on the basis of the Finnish and Karelian mythology as well as the national epic: Kalevala.

Age group: 14+ horror

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Norwegian edition
Finnish edition

The Horned God

Magdalena Hai

Finlandia winner 2023! Creeping horror for the YA audience

✓ Winner of the Finlandia Prize for children’s and YA literature of 2023! Nominated for the Topelius Prize of 2024!

✓ Rights sold in 8 languages & a bestseller in Finland with over 6,000 copies sold

✓ Magdalena Hai’s books have been sold in 30 territories and she has been nominated for several prestigious awards such as Finlandia Prize, Nordic Council Literature Prize

✓ Magdalena Hai is the winner of the Finnish Literary Export Prize (2017) and Kaarina Helakisa Prize (2020)

When death touches your life, everything changes.

Lauri wakes up in the hospital after a fatal car crash and he doesn’t remember much about it. Mom is dead and now life has changed drastically.

When Lauri starts his slow recovery in a small town at his aunt’s house, he has an unpleasant feeling that everything is not right. The dead don’t stay dead and the beautiful neighbor Vilja-Maaria doesn’t want to live. When an ominous creature with antlers appears behind the window, Lauri begins to see nightmarish dreams that feel too real.

ME SIILISET
Into, February 2025, 48 pp., 4c print

ME KETTUSET
Into, 2020, 48 pp., 4c print

ME KARHUSET
Into, 2021, 50 pp., 4c print

ME HUKKASET
Into, 2022, 48 pp., 4c print

ME LINTUSET
Into, 2023, 48 pp., 4c print

ME POROSET
Into, 2024, 48 pp., 4c print

Age group: 4+

Reading material:
Finnish edition
Full English PDF (Meet the Fox Family)
English text (Meet the Hedgehog Family)

Animal Family series:

Meet the Hedgehog Family

Hannu Laakso

From the pure Nordic nature! The Animal Family series is a perfect gateway to spark children’s curiosity about nature – perfect for sharing and reading together with parents and grandparents.

✓ Hannu Laakso is a renowned photographer, having won over 130 international awards!
✓ Hannu Laakso’s Animal Family book series received an award from the Finnish state in 2023
✓ Meet the Fox Family and Meet the Bear Family sold to Italy!
✓ Great read for the whole family!
✓ Encouraging children to read books while inspiring them on nature

With vibrant, intimate photographs and playful storytelling from a follow the adventures from animal’s perspective, each book draws young readers into the everyday adventures of wild animal families. These heartwarming stories encourage children to read and spark a lasting appreciation of nature.

The Animal Family series’ adventurous stories and stunning photographs inspire children to read and strengthen their connection with nature. The Animal Family series includes: Meet the Fox Family, Meet the Bear Family, Meet the Wolf Family, Meet the Bird Family, Meet the Reindeer Family and Meet the Hedgehog Family. 

Laakso mixes vibrant and intimate photographs with playful yet educational text from a baby animal’s point of view. The series helps readers understand nature with an up-close view of the lovable animals. 

Meet the Hedgehog Family 
The latest book in the series, MEET THE HEDGEHOG FAMILY, is a readers’ request! 

Little hedgehogs who have wandered off without a mother have been rescued by an animal protection society, soon to be released back into the wild. The tiny hedgehogs rejoice on the first day of their second life, but then strange things start to happen. The babies are threatened by a beast they have never seen before. Is curling up into a ball still enough to defend themselves?

Also available in the Animal Family series:
Meet the Fox Family
Meet the Bear Family
Meet the Wolf Family
Meet the Bird Family
Meet the Reindeer Family

Coming up next: Meet the Squirrel Family

SALAISET
WSOY, March 2024, 40 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Finnish edition

The Secret Ones

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Anne Vasko

Unleash your creativity and discover the creatures who live right next to you in secret! This delightful picture book invites young readers to look at ordinary homes with new eyes

✓ Czech and Polish rights sold!
✓ Encourages imaginary play & playful interactions between parents and children
✓ Tuutikki Tolonen is an Arvid Lydecken award-winning author and her Monster Nanny series has been sold into 37 territories!
✓ Anne Vasko is the recipient of the Rudolf Koivu illustration award 2010 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Junior 2010 and for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2017 & 2021). Her books have been sold to over 20 territories

This charming picture book invites its readers to play a game: could there be secret creatures, living side by side with humans in ordinary homes? They leave signs for those who know where and how to look.

Why are there crumbs on the kitchen floor? Perhaps you have a crumbscraper living with you! The creature itself is so shy you’ll barely ever see it. And about the holes in your socks – probably a lintbug’s fault. Or when the remote control is lost again, maybe the amnesianos have stolen it.

PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ JA TALVITAIKA
Tammi, September 2017, 48 pp.

PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ JA VESSASANAT
Tammi, August 2019, 44 pp.

PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ JA RIITATAIKA
Tammi, August 2021, 44 pp.

PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ JA MÖRKÖTAIKA
Tammi, August 2024, 44 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
English PDFs
Finnish edition

Princess Rascal series

Elina Hirvonen, illustrated by Mervi Lindman

A picture book about being scared of the dark

✓ Shows day-to-day challenges of families with children with a lot of warmth and humor
✓ Rights in series sold into 5 languages

Princess Rascal is a picture book series about a little girl who knows her mind and has a heart of gold, though sometimes it’s difficult to know the right thing to do. The series has been praised for its accurate and hilarious depictions of everyday life in a toddler family: sometimes parents get tired, too.

Books in the Princess Rascal series:

#1: Princess Rascal
You would think that Princess Rascal is just a little girl, but she’s also a princess with many crowns for different purposes: one for Important Thoughts, one for Great Adventures, one for Peaceful Dreams. When Mom gets mad at her, she must find the right crown to calm Mom down.

#2: Princess Rascal and the Potty Words
Princess Rascal starts pre-school. She’s nervous about her new mates and new teacher. She is especially nervous about going to the toilet. When she uses toilet words in a completely wrong situation, she’s sure that she is the most embarrassing girl in the world. But a solution for the problem can be found in her secret treasure chest.

#3: Princess Rascal and the Quarrel Spell
Which spell is the best when it seems that the parents do not have enough time for themselves? Resourceful Princess Rascal has a solution to every problem!
When Mom looks like a red-eyed panda and Dad looks like an angry troll, and they snap at each other without any reason, it’s time for some Rascal spells and Onni’s insights. The solution is the world’s finest KISSING BOOTH.

“You have to go in there to kiss. Then you will  love again. And never quarrel again. And we don’t have to move to Flower’s.”

#4: Princess Rascal and the Dark Fairy
Would a crown of courage or a string of pearls with happy things help in the dark?

Princess Rascal stays awake all night, because there’s a monster under her bed. No one believes that, but Princess Rascal knows it’s true. She feels that no one else has such big worries and that no one else is even afraid of anything! Somehow this problem has to be solved: could there be something in Princess Rascal’s toy box that could help?

PIKKU HIIRI -sarja
Tammi, 2015 -, 48 pp.

Age group: 2+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDFs books #1-#10
Finnish PDF #10
English Sample Little Mouse’s Fables

Little Mouse Series

Riikka Jäntti

Adorable bestselling picture book series about a little mouse and its everyday adventures. 

✓ Rights for the series sold in 23 territories!
✓ Features lovely retro-style illustrations and family life with a toddler!
✓ There is a book for every occasion!
✓ Can be read and published in any order!

The Little Mouse series is an international bestseller with rights sold in over 20 territories. The stories focus on the toddler Little Mouse, who lives with Mummy Mouse and has fun and exciting adventures, whether they go camping, play in the park, or clean up the house in preparation for guests. The lovely illustrations and familiar scenarios make the series relatable for children. 

Titles available in the Little Mouse series:

#1: Little Mouse
#2: Little Mouse Helps Out
#3: Little Mouse’s Christmas
#4: Little Mouse’s Holiday
#5: Little Mouse’s Winter
#6: Little Mouse’s Summer
#7: Little Mouse Goes Camping
#8: Little Mouse and the Birthday Present
#9: Little Mouse Welcomes Spring
#10: Little Mouse Goes on a Cruise

And in 2026, #11: Little Mouse Goes Flying

KETTU JA HILJAISUUS
Otava,  September 2022, 32 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Finnish edition

The Fox and Silence

Reetta Niemelä, illustrated by Eri Shimatsuka

A charming picture book about a sensitive fox and the need for silence

✓ Sold to Japan, Latvia and Taiwan!
✓ A new collaboration between the winner of the Arvid Lydecken Award 2022 Reetta Niemelä and textile artist and illustrator Eri Shimatsuka
✓ An important topic with appeal to all ages
✓ Teaches children about mental health and standing up for their individual needs

Once upon a time there was a fox the colour of a copper pot. It had very long and sensitive ears. Loud noises keep hurting the fox’s ears. It had to dig deeper and deeper into its den to rest its ears. Where does the fox find silence? How would the other creatures in the forest understand that the silence is like a hammock, where one can safely fall asleep?

This beautiful story discusses sensibility and the need for silence. The touching text by award-winning poet and children’s author Reetta Niemela is paired with charming illustrations by textile artist Eri Shimatsuka.

MONTAKO YÖTÄ VIELÄ, PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI
Otava, October 2024, 88 pp.

Age group: 5+ years

Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition

How Many More Sleeps Until Christmas, Itty Bitty Princess?
A Christmas Calendar Book For All Impatient People

Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu

24 magical stories about Itty Bitty Princess’ journey to Christmas

✓ Rights for the bestselling standalone picture books featuring Itty Bitty Princess have been sold to 6 territories
✓ Hannele Lampela has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for the Runeberg Junior award 2019, the Storytel Finland Award 2020, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023

Itty Bitty Princess is impatiently waiting for Christmas. And believe it or not, every single night a little elf peeks in the window and looks to see what Itty Bitty Princess has been up to!

The days counting down to Christmas can fit magic, cakes, and gingerbread – and many, many questions. Among other things, about elves, kindness and why some get much bigger gifts than others or why some get to be angels in the Christmas play and others have to be donkeys.

Also available: 

Chapter Books:
Itty Bitty Princess (2016)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Winter (2017)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Slightly Better Bedtime Stories (2018)
Itty Bitty Princess and The Horrible Injustice (2019)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Summer (2020)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Slightly Better Singalongs (2020)
Itty Bitty Princess Takes Over the World (2021)
Itty Bitty Princess and The Amazing Amusement Park (2023)

Picture Books:
Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies (2022)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales (2022)

PET AGENTS sarja
Tammi, 2019 -, ca. 176 pp., 4c illustrations

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
Full English translation (Book 1)
English synopses & series presentation
Finnish PDFs

Pet Agents #11: Pets in the Game

Riina Kaarla and Sami Kaarla

KATI-E is an independent girl who loves animals just as much as electronics and coding. TI-BOT is the flying robot Kati-e built. Together they are the PET AGENTS, and their mission is to solve pet problems!

✓ A delightfully illustrated series for robot fans and animal lovers alike!
✓ Over 60,000 copies sold in Finland
✓ Series already sold in 8 territories!

The Pet Agents series is a delightful series about friendship and pet care, filled with adventures. Each book – which can be read in any order – features new characters, locations, and pets from miniature pigs to virtual dinosaurs. Engaging, full of humour, and dealing with animal issues in a child friendly way, the series has charmed readers in Finland and internationally. 

Book #11: Pets in the Game
Pet Agents, who have charmed the readers with their sci-fi delights and fluffy pets, continue their adventures in the game world.

When the animal-loving Kati-e finds a lost hamster, this surprising little buddy leads her to the fantastic worlds of an exciting VR game. In order to solve the puzzles of the game, fix its problems, and rescue the animals to their correct habitats, Kati-e must learn how to see the world from the animals’ perspective. But who has hacked the game and why?

Also available:
#1: New Pets & New Friends!
#2: Tracking a Thief
#3: Charging Ahead
#4: Lost in the Game
#5: In Deep Water
#6: Snowed In
#7: Wild City
#8: Mission on the Moon
#9: Masters of the Jungle
#10: The Hobby Horse Whisperer

LEMMIKKIFRENDIT sarja
Tammi, 2022 -, ca. 128 pp., 4c illustrations

Age group: 5+

Reading material:
Full English translation (Book 1)
English synopses & series presentation
Finnish PDFs

Pet Friends Series #7: Hector

Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla & Anders Vacklin

A story of a young girl experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with pets and new friendships!

✓ Funny and adventure-filled 4-book series for animal lovers and robots fans alike!
✓ Fresh quirky 4-colour artwork
✓ Teaches children about animals and pet care

The Pet Friends series is a standalone prequel to hugely popular Pet Agents, telling the story of how Kati-e and Ti-bot became a team and solved their first agent missions. Aimed at a slightly younger age group, this is the perfect series to read with young animal enthusiasts!

Coming in October 2025:

Book #7: Hector

On Pet Day, Kati-e’s school is full of children’s wonderful pets. But weird things also happen: people’s belongings go missing, a pufferfish is missing its owner, and the pet snake of teacher Pilvi vanishes without a trace. As if that weren’t enough, the pet budgie of the neighbour boy Nizo’s father Ali is missing as well. Are these events somehow linked and are pet friends able to solve this mystery?

Also available:

#1: Bit and Mode
In order to have a pet of her own, the lonely six-year-old coding wizard and handy robot builder Kati-e rescues adorable rat twins from the trash can. She sneaks them home, despite her mother’s allergy to rats, only to discover a mysterious stuffed animal hidden inside the walls of her room, which used to belong to the coolest girl in the neighborhood.

#2: Mop
The sunny, resourceful, self-reliant 6-year-old rat owner Kati-e is having the time of her life working as a little helper in a pet store. When it goes out of business, the devastated Kati-e sets up her own pet service so she can be around animals in the future, and ends up owning four puppies as a result.

#3: Bean
Brilliant and resourceful, Kati-e struggles to build a robot that can speak with animals, to find good homes for her four puppies, and she is forced to renovate an old roof-top water tank into her new home as one of the puppies wants to stay with her.

#4: Mir
To solve the mystery of the beekeeper’s lost bees, passionate and unyielding animal helper Kati-e has to break into a space tech lab to build a new shapeshifter robot that can perform a bee dance, all at the same time her astronaut father is leaving Earth.

#5: Om
In the fifth Pet Friends book, the first grader Kati-e, who hosts the pet column in school magazine, becomes an investigating journalist together with her robot Ti-bot. They meet curious cats in the school, and sense a scoop! The cat-and-mouse game is like catnip to anyone who loves a proper adventure – or the purring of a cat!

#6: Pigeon
When teacher Sauli is diagnosed with diabetes, the animal-loving Kati-e has to organize a fundraising event for Sauli’s diabetes alert dog. But, before that, Katie wants to uncover the secret of her substitute teacher – why is he teaching juggling instead of mathematics? The sixth Pet Friends is full of monkey business and hat tricks!

Upcoming books in the Pet Friends series:

Book #8: Hog (coming in May 2026)
When a new teacher named Vera Vega and her robot drone Orion present themselves to Kati-e’s class, the children sense something suspicious in the pair. Soon, the president, a previous pupil of the school, arrives for a visit with his famous pet dog Hog. Vera and Orion are exceptionally interested, especially in Hog. Is the new teacher an alien from outer space, a foreign agent, or what is going on?

MÖRKÖVAHTI sarja
Tammi 2015-2020, 300 pp., b&w illustrations

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
Book 1: English edition
Book 2-3: English sample & synopsis, German editions, French editions
Finnish editions

Monster Nanny Trilogy

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

The Monstrous Mary Poppins – international bestseller sold in 37 countries with a Hollywood film in development by Scott Free Productions!

✓ Rights sold in 37 territories!
✓ A feature film in development in Hollywood, co-produced by Ridley Scott!
✓ Monster Nanny is the winner of Arvid Lydecken Award 2016 and the Monster Nanny series was a Anni Polva Award nominee (2017)
✓ Tuutikki Tolonen is also the winner of the LukuVarkaus Award 2021 and has been nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award 2021, the Anni Polva Award 2021, and has received an honorable Mention at the Runeberg Junior Award 2021

#1 Monster Nanny
The Hellman children have been sent a nanny to look after them while their mother is at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.
Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

#2 Monster Route
Mimi, 6 years old, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gatekeeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

#3 Monster Message
The Hellman kids face new troubles. Mom and Dad want to move into a bigger home on the other side of the city. When Mimi finds crumpled leaves with strange markings in her room, they look like messages from the underground, but who’s delivering them and why? And why does the Gatekeeper of the underground world appear in their bathroom?

MUSTAN KUUN MAJATALO 
Lasten Keskus, October 2021, 310pp., b&w & 4c illustrations

MUSTAN KUUN MAJAKKA
Lasten Keskus, May 2023, 359pp., b&w & 4c illustrations

Age group: 7+

Reading material:
English sample book 1
English synopses books 1 & 2
Finnish editions

Black Moon Trilogy

Reetta Niemelä, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto

A magical middle-grade series irresistibly blending mythology and environmental protection!

✓ Winner of the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2022! Published in Estonia!
✓ Nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2022 – Audience favourite!
✓ Illustrator Katri Kirkkopelto was nominated for the Finlandia Prize several times (2005, 2016, 2020) and is the winner of the Kylli Koski Prize 2009
✓ Author and poet Reetta Niemelä won the The Kaarina Helakisa Prize in 2011 and has so far been nominated for the Finlandia Prize three times!

The animal-loving Saimi Salaper and her veterinarian father move to the city of Bluehill in order to set up a hospital for wild animals there. By coincidence, they buy an old inn, where one can hear weird noises behind closed doors, see rare butterflies fly past on the yard, and, at the rooftop, there seems to be… a perch for dragons.

Little by little, the house reveals its secrets to Saimi, and soon the Black Moon Inn is open for creatures of the secret folk who seek refuge there: the trolls, the fairies, and many more. But there’s a threat lurking just behind a corner, and the Inn takes both Saimi and the reader on an exciting adventure into the world of the secret folk.

Available titles:
#1: Black Moon Inn Book 
#2: Black Moon Lighthouse

WAARALINNAN SALAISUUDET 3: VARJOJEN VARTIJAT
Tammi, June 2024, 300 pp., b&w chapter headings

WAARALINNAN SALAISUUDET 2: VERENPUNAINEN KRISTALLI
Tammi, June 2023, 288 pp., b&w chapter headings

WAARALINNAN SALAISUUDET 1: SEITSEMÄN KIELONLEHTEÄ
Tammi, June 2022, 352 pp., b&w chapter headings

Age group: 9+

Reading material:
English sample Book 1
English synopses books 1-3
Finnish editions

The Secrets of Grimhill Trilogy

Janne Malinen, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

A captivating middle-grade trilogy about being an outsider, of friendship, bravery, and loss

✓ A mystery adventure trilogy where nothing is what it seems
✓ The atmospheric setting, strong characters and unique plotlines make this an irresistible read
✓ Trailers in English available
✓ For fans of Astrid Lindgren and Harry Potter

The Secrets of Grimhill is a mystery adventure trilogy for middle grade readers. Respecting the old traditions of the genre, there are mysterious whispers and dark corridors – but also friendship and laughter.

Book #1: Seven Lily-of-the-Valleys
Oskar is a perfectly average boy living with his parents in the red brick house by the biggest market square in the city. Everything changes when he is diagnosed with a serious illness. His parents send him to the remote Grimhill sanatorium, which from the very first moments feels suspicious and off-putting – and the staff don’t make it better. They’re definitely hiding something. 

Together with his new friends Robin and Vilma, Oskar gets pulled into a compelling adventure as they try to find out what is behind the ominous voices in the night. And what is hiding within the cold forest which seems to enchant the children?

Book #2: The Blood Red Crystal
In the second part of the trilogy, fate leads the children from the shelter of Grimhill’s walls to the dark alleys of the city and nightly meadow.

The cold autumn winds are blowing, and a new school year begins in Grimhill. Oskar, Robin and Vilma meet again with the familiar staff of the sanatorium and the new head doctor, Hjalmar Klemet. All seems to be well on a quick look, but underneath the surface the friendship between the trio is put to the test: Robin spends more and more time with the girl who arrived at the sanatorium in the spring and Vilma retreats more into her own world. The disturbing noises during the night are getting louder again and won’t leave Oskar alone. The final piece of the map leading to the forest is finally found, and the children learn of a mysterious and life-threatening task. A task that only the three of them can complete.

Book #3: The Guardians of the Shadows
The final installment of the trilogy sees darkness rising from the East. The fate of Grimhill is on the shoulders of three children.

A chilling cold creeps over the fields and the Grimhill Sanatorium is covered in snow. Oskar, Vilma and Robin walk tirelessly and defy danger as they wander deeper into the dark forest to save Krista. Time is running out, and the closer the children get to their destinationl, the darker and more threatening the shadows become. The trio needs to face the evil that lives in the forest, and eventually one of them is faced with a hard decision to make. But could there also be something good hidden in the darkness?

UNOHDETTUJEN KIRJA
Otava, October 2024, 320 pp.

MISTÄ VALO PÄÄSEE SISÄÄN
Otava, November 2021, 320 pp.

KORENTO
Otava, December 2020, 387 pp.

Age group: 15+

Reading material:
English samples and synopses
French edition (book 1)
Finnish editions

The Dragonfly trilogy

Anne-Maija Aalto

A stirring image of a future world where humanity is in danger of disappearing

✓ The acclaimed award-winning trilogy for the fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games series
✓ Where the Light Comes In won the 2021 Finlandia Prize for Children’s and YA Literature and the 2022 Young Aleksis Award winner!
✓ Dragonfly was nominated for the Topelius Prize and the Young Aleksis Award!                  
✓ French edition available of Dragonfly, published by Editions Milan! Rights sold also to Hungary! 
✓The Handmaid’s Tale to the YA, perfect for fans of Murakami and Bradbury

The Book of the Forgotten

Having escaped from the cruel and oppressive Union, Mai has spent months in a refugee camp, with no information about the fate of her beloved Satomi and the family she left behind. Eventually, she catches a glimpse of Satomi in the news. Satomi’s situation is desperate, as her memory has been wiped clean in a human research institute. When Mai is presented with an opportunity to try and change the inevitable course of events, she seizes it without hesitation.

Also Available:

Where the Lights Come In
Aleksei is a young man whose father runs a human research institute in Tokyo, which is now partly covered by the sea. New batches of test subjects regularly arrive at the facility, including one with Satomi, a young woman whose memory is set to be erased. Satomi becomes Aleksei’s trial case, since he is meant to continue his father’s work. But something is already churning beneath the surface, and the younger generation can see the horrors of the system their parents have created.

Dragonfly
A shocking, brilliantly told story about resistance in an unequal society.
Two young women, Satomi and Mai have always stuck together. They were born in an internment village on an island that was called Japan before the sea level rose. They are non-citizens whose purpose is to serve full citizens.

On good nights they go to the seaside together to wade. They still have that, even if everything else has been taken away from them. Then Commander Rafikov takes Mai to make her a Nymph. And Satomi can’t just wait anymore.

SANG
WSOY, September 2022, 496pp.

NARAKA
WSOY, April 2024, 500pp.

Age group: 15+ fantasy

Reading material:
English sample + synopsis of SANG
Synopsis of NARAKA
Finnish editions

Sang & Naraka

Elina Pitkäkangas

An epic YA/crossover fantasy duology about love and power in a fictional East Asia of the future! When a person’s value is determined by money and happiness by family, what will be left when both are ripped away?

✓ Rights sold in Germany, Denmark, and Turkey!
✓ Sang is the winner of the 2023 Topelius Award 2023, the 2023 City of Tampere Literature Prize 2023, and the 2023 Kuvastaja Prize!
✓ Sang was chosen by the readers as one of the Top 100 Finnish books of the 21st century!
✓ The sequel, Naraka, was nominated for the 2024 Topelius Award! 
✓ Praised by readers and critics for its convincing world-building, multifaceted characters and cinematic descriptions
✓ Rare representation of sign language in YA

Book #1: SANG
The state of Fusang is recovering from a war that ravaged the world. 16-year-old Kong Dawei, an earnest young man, is living in a poor mountain village and tries to pay his adopted siblings’ citizen dues by transporting contraband goods at night.

After a series of unfortunate events, Dawei ends up in the southern capital which is ruled by the cruel matriarch of the White Tiger Clan. When there is nothing else to lose, Dawei has only one goal: to get back to his loved ones – whatever it takes.

Sang is an addictive fantasy novel that travels through cold mountains and humid cities, noisy bazaars and opulent halls, and the world after the Black Rain, in which one’s value is measured in money.

 Book #2: NARAKA
Kong Dawei has returned to his home region, but nothing is the same. The second book of the duology, loved by readers and praised by experts, is a vivid and an intensive novel about war, morals, and ever holding love.

The sequel of the top-rated book SANG presents Fusang’s region Naraka, a workcamp where the unfortunate citizens are sent. The resistance is growing there. When Kong Dawei finds himself in the middle of The Iron Rebellion, he must face the boundaries of his loyalty. Whose side does he want to be on? Can there be winners in the war?

NÄKYMÄTTÖMÄT
Tammi, April 2023, 293 pp.

Age group: 12+ 

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

The Invisibles

Sanna Isto

A haunted house. An Invisible boy. A summer of mystery and self-discovery.

✓ Grounded fantasy for the 12+ audience
✓ Nominated for the 2023 Finlandia Prize for Children’s and YA Literature and the 2024 Topelius Prize!
✓ Sanna Isto is a two-time winner of the Arvid Lydecken award (2012 & 2017) and has been nominated twice for the Finlandia Prize (2017 & 2023), Topelius Prize and Young Aleksis Award in (2019 & 2024)

Spending her vacation away from the city and her friends was not what Pii had in mind for the summer she had been eagerly waiting for. And then even the holiday house turns out to be strange and peculiar. Who is the boy who moves around the house as if it were his own, and why can’t anyone else see him?

Pii’s experience of being an outsider turns into her strength, as she sees things that others don’t notice. Soon she finds herself in the middle of a secret that overshadows the sunny idyll of the small village. Are the thefts of vacation homes and the unsolved death that happened half a year ago related? And what does the mysterious boy in the green cap have to do with all this?

Pii has to look for answers deep below the surface and in the search must also face herself. A vacation Pii expected to be boring turns into a journey of self-discovery, and in the end nothing – not even the ghosts – is what it seems.

Age group: 15+

Reading material:
Full English translation
French edition
Finnish edition

In the Dark I Can Be Yours

Salla Simukka

If your love can only be a secret, will it last?

✓ Published in France by Actes Sud!
✓ Queer love story acclaimed for its beautifully realistic narration!
✓ Salla Simukka is Finland’s most internationally bestselling author, with the Snow White Trilogy sold in 53 territories!

Varpu and Saga are two sixteen-year-old girls that are forced to stay in their hometown for the summer. After just one drunken kiss, prejudice and identity are shattered and it’s revealed how, behind the facade, everyone hurts and loves the same. In The Dark I Can be Yours is a touching and beautiful title about tumultuous emotions in the summer.

The authentic characters are supported by Simukka’s light and airy narrative. Each side of the book tells one girl’s story, which effortlessly melts together into a summer of love, insecurities, and the exploration of two young people.

#2 NAONDEL
Förlaget 2016, 400 pp.

#3 BREVEN FRÅN MARESI
Förlaget 2018, 300 pp.

Age group: 14+ / crossover, fantasy

Reading material:
English editions

The Red Abbey Chronicles

Maria Turtschaninoff

The Red Abbey Chronicles is a historically-inspired feminist fantasy saga, aimed at young adult audiences

✓ Rights sold in 31 territories!
✓ Maria Turtschaninoff is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Prize!
✓ TANGLED ROOTS (Inherited Land), Maria Turtschaninoff’s first adult fiction novel, has been sold to 23 territories, has won four literary prizes, and has received universal acclaim!

#1 Maresi
The Red Abbey is a refuge for women and girls where everyone pursues their own areas of interest. Maresi prefers to spend her time reading and learning. Everything changes when the frightened Jai arrives on the island. She has seen her sister get buried alive for speaking to a young man, and her father and a crew of thugs are after her. Maresi and her friends have to fight to defend both Jai and their community.

#2 Naondel
An independent prequel to Maresi, Naondel tells the story of the First Sisters – founders of the Red Abbey.

Imprisoned in a harem by a dangerous man with a dark magic that grants him power over life and death, the women must overcome their mistrust of each other in order to escape. But they can only do so at great cost, both to those who leave and those left behind.

#3 Maresi: Red Mantle
The third book is an epistolary novel that follows Maresi after she leaves the Red Abbey to establish a school in her oppressed home province of Rovas. The return to her Northern home, and fitting in, is not easy even with all the knowledge she’s bringing with her, but she is determined to triumph over the difficulties. However, she does not need to make it alone, for life has yet another surprise in store: love.

#2 PIKKUTIETO: MENNÄÄN PIILOON
Karisto 2021, 20 pp.

#3 PIKKUTIETO: KASVIN MATKA
Karisto 2022, 20 pp.

Age group: 2+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDFs
Finnish editions

Mini Science Series

Laura Ertimo, illustrated by Sanna Pelliccioni

A science series for the smallest in the family!

✓ Rights sold to 6 territories!
✓ Sanna Pelliccioni is an awarded illustrator, and the only Finn named on the IBBY honour list 2022!
✓ Laura Ertimo is the star of Finnish non-fiction for childrens and her books have been sold in 18 countries. She has won the Tietopöllo Prize (2020) and the Tieto Lauri Award (2022) and was nominated for the Finlandia Award (2021)!

Mini Science is a non-fiction series for the smallest in the family. The series tackles big science questions with lovely illustrations and encourages kids to wonder and ask questions. It feeds curiosity and is designed to start conversations about different topics that children might not think about on their own.

#1 WHERE ARE YOU

In Where Are You?, we follow Plop, a little creature who guides us through space to Earth and from there into human DNA and, finally, to the world of atoms. Zooming in all the way from the enormities of space to the minisculness of atoms, we learn a great deal in between.

#2 INVISIBLE WORLD

In the second title of the Mini Science series – Invisible World – the adorable character Plop will discover things one cannot see – electricity, a garden in the fog, darkness, microorganisms and other well-hidden things. When Plop gets sick, he learns about bacteria and viruses and how to avoid them. Vaccinations can seem scary, but they keep us healthy! Sometimes it’s better to stay home, even if it makes you bored, so that soon you can go off to discover the Dark Side of The Moon!

#3 TRAVELLING PLANTS

In the third title of the Mini Science series – The Travelling Plants – our adventurer Plop ponders a tricky question: if rooted to the ground, how can one travel? Plants are the foundation of the Earth’s living network. But they are not here just for animals and humans – plants have their own mysterious life, which, in the end, is not so different from ours. They grow, reproduce and send off their offspring, and indeed, even travel around the world.
The Travelling Plants shows how all of us are interconnected and need each other throughout life.

MIKÄ MAHTI! – LOTTA JA KASPER LUONNON PUOLELLA
Into, July 2023, 48 pp.

AIKA MATKA! LOTTA, KASPER, JA LUONTOKADON ARVOITUS
Into, July 2021, 48pp.

IHME ILMAT
Into, November 2019, 48pp.

Age group: 9+ years

Reading material:
English edition of WEIRD WEATHER
English sample + synopsis
Finnish editions

Lotta & Kasper:

Weird Weather

Where Did the Animals Go? 

We Are Powerful!

Laura Ertimo, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu

✓  Weird Weather sold to 18 territories and published in the US!
✓ Mari Ahokoivu and Laura Ertimo won the Tieto-Lauri Award in 2022 for WHERE DID ALL THE ANIMALS GO? and have been nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 2021
✓ Laura Ertimo is the star of Finnish non-fiction books for children and her books have been sold in 21 countries!
✓ Mari Ahokoivu won the Puupäähattu Comic Book Award in 2023

Weird Weather:
This book answers children’s tough questions about climate change, and explains how we can all fight against it.

Where Did All The Animals Go?:
Animal extinction and the environmental crisis explained for children.

We Are Powerfull!:
Newest title by the Tieto-Lauri awarded duo Laura Ertimo and Mari Ahokoivu, tackling the question of power into something easily understandable by children!