MERKILLINEN MATKALAUKKU
Tammi, May 2025, 40 pp. 

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
English sample
Swedish & Finnish manuscripts
Illustration samples

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 cosy read to both children and adults
✓ Traditional and utterly charming illustrations

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!

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

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

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Swedish pdf
English text

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
✓ 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 9 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.

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

Age group: 5+

Reading material:
English PDF
Finnish edition

Little Mouse and the Amazing Universe

Riikka Jäntti

The new chapter books follow the same lovable Little Mouse from the picture books, now all grown up and navigating life as a schoolkid

✓ The Little Mouse series has sold to 21 territories!
✓ Sold to Poland pre-publication alongside with LITTLE MOUSE’S HILARIOUS HALLOWEEN (publ. fall 2025)
✓ Second chapter book after LITTLE MOUSE’S SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
✓ Introducing the beloved picture book character to young readers 5+!

Outer space is so big and amazing!

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?

Hiiru, Lyly and Antero are working together on a presentation about Mars. Grandpa also wants to help, but his book contains outdated information. What might Mars be like, and how many light-years away is the nearest star? Thinking about this makes Hiiru feel very small, even though the universe is such a fascinating place!

Also available:

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

And upcoming Fall 2025: #3 Little Mouse and Hilarious Halloween
Action packed and humorous third book, that takes place during Halloween.

Also check out the Little Mouse Picture Book series!

ISÄMIES JA SALAPERÄINEN NUKKEMESTARI
Otava, February 2025, 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: #6
Dad Man and the Mysterious Puppet Master

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 (2 books) and Denmark (2 books)!
✓ German publication of the first two books is 20.2.2025!
✓ Perfect for reluctant readers and for fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants
✓ All books in the series have been nominated for the Storytel awards Best children’s audiobook prize!
✓ Books in the series have also 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
✓ Work as standalones and can be read in any order!

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.

Book #6:

The wackiest cop in town is messing up again! A fast-paced adventure full of humor for elementary school readers.

A supervillain calling himself the Mysterious Puppet Master robs the Museum of Ancient Diseases and threatens to unleash deadly germs if the city’s smartest detective doesn’t complete the tasks he’s assigned.

Who else but Dadman rises heroically to the challenge, dragging Oona and the gang back into action. They must solve the Puppet Master’s riddles before it’s too late — and before Dadman ruins everything. Because those tasks? They’re not quite as heroic as Dadman thought…

Also available:

#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

Also available: a bedtime storybook from the DAD MAN universe Dad Man’s Idiotic Tales

PRANKENSTEININ MORSIAN
Tammi, May 2025, 112 pp.

PRANKENSTEIN
Tammi, March 2024, 112 pp.

Age group: 7+ years

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English text

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!

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

Age group: 5+ years

Reading material:
English pdfs of Books 1-3
English text of Book 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!
✓ 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 old, enters 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 floor, 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.

ALLE AALLON
Tammi, April 2025, 150 pp.

Age group: 12+

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish manuscript

Twin World Series #1: Saving Atlantis

Siri Kolu

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

✓ 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?

LUMOLA 1: PIMEÄNKYNSI
Karisto, September 2024, 152 pp.

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample & synopsis

Monster Manor series #1: Darkclaw

J. S. Meresmaa, illustrated by Elina Äijälä

A chillingly creepy, gorgeously illustrated horror series begins

✓ Winner of the 2024 Tähtipöllö Award
✓ Tied for second place Kuopus Award 2024
✓ Engaging middle-grade horror, with mystery and heart-pounding adventure!
✓ Captivating and relatable variety of characters
✓ J. S. Meresmaa is a winner of 2023 Kuopus Award, and a nominee in 2023 for Kuvastaja Award and Tähtifantasia Award 
✓ Her picture book I Am Not Afraid has been translated to Estonian

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.

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: 9+

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

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 Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden!
✓ International bestseller! Nordic Council Literature Nominee!

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!
✓ Estonian and Czech rights sold!
✓ 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 Ukrainan 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?

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

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+!

✓ Stand by Me meets Blair Witch Project
✓ Winner of prestigious Finlandia Award 2024 in Children & YA literature
✓ Sold close to 8,000 copies
✓ An engaging and gripping story that leaves room for imagination
✓ Empowering and subtly educational, the book quietly explores themes such as fear, prejudice, and finding strengths in imperfections

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?

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! Hannu Laakso’s gorgeously photographed Animal Family series is an easy-to-read book suitable for animal lovers of all ages

✓ 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

Through intimate and vibrant photographs, follow the adventures of animal families – and learn. 

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. 

NEW: 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

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 MÖRKÖTAIKA
Tammi, August 2024, 44 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

Princess Rascal And The Dark Fairy

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

Would a crown of courage or a string of pearls with happy things help in the dark?

Beloved Princess Rascal is a little girl with big feelings and magical powers. The popular picture book series continues!

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?

The Princess Rämäpää series by Elina Hirvonen and Mervi Lindman takes the reader on magical adventures that can be found right in the middle of everyday life, as long as you have enough imagination.

Also available:
Princess Rascal (2017)
Princess Rascal and the Potty Words (2019)
Princess Rascal and the Quarrel Spell (2021)

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 21 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.

#10 Little Mouse Goes on a Cruise

Little Mouse is excited, for it’s his first trip abroad! Little Mouse packs his backpack, sets off to the port with Mummy Mouse and aunt Lizzie, and walks through a big pipe to get on board. Even though everything on the cruise ship is big, the cabin is surprisingly small. How will it feel to sleep when the waves lull the boat?

On the other shore there’s a rainy but beautiful city which is fun to explore. But what kind of experiences will the journey home bring?

Also available:
#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 for some mousified fairy tales, check out: Little Mouse’s Fables

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.

PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI JA (KAAMEA) TOTUUS VAUVOISTA
Otava, April 2022, 32 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Finnish edition

PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKIN HIUKKASEN HURJAT SADUT
Otava, October 2022, 32 pp.

Age group: 3+ years

Reading material:
Full English PDF
Finnish edition

Itty Bitty Princess picture books:

Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies &
Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales

Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu

Funny and narrated from the child’s perspective, the picture books in this series are guaranteed to enlighten young readers!

✓ Bestselling series, 650,000 copies sold!
✓ Itty Bitty Princess film released in 2024 and second one in development!
✓ 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 a mischievous, bold, and kind-hearted little girl with a mind of her own. Whether it’s finding out where babies come from or fixing “mistakes” and injustices in fairy tales, Itty Bitty never shies away from a challenge! 

Also available – Itty Bitty Princess picture books (3+):
Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies (2022)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales (2022)

Also available – Itty Bitty Princess chapter books (40pp-80pp, 5+):
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)

And more to come – two new books in 2025!

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 Series

Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla & Anders Vacklin

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. 

#10: The Hobby Horse Whisperer
The animal-loving Kati-e, robot Ti-bot, neighborhood friend Timi and the computer wizard X end up on a therapy farm, where the animals are in dire need of help. But to save the farm, Kati-e first needs to help a girl recovering from an accident to find her lost horse.

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

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!

#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!

Available titles:
#1: Bit and Mode
#2: Mop
 #3: Bean
#4: Mir
#5: Om

STOP SECRET -sarja
Tammi 2023-2024, 128-144 pp., b&w illustrations

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
English samples & synopsis
Finnish editions

Stop Secret Mysteries series

Ilona Ahti, illustrated by Miila Westin

A funny middle-grade mystery series for fans of Roald Dahl

✓ 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) and her 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, which won the Sunday Film Festival Audience Award and was the Finnish submission to the Oscars 2022
✓ Book 3 in development!

Book 2: The Ghost of the Bottomless Pit

Stop Secret‘s hilarious adventures continue!

In the second part of this entertaining middle grade series, a super-secret puddle mystery is solved. Hilla, Maisa and Roni-Toni’s stumble across a bottomless puddle of water, which swallows the friends’ football. The Stop Secret Crew is needed again, and Mitsi, the world-traveling grandma, and the incredibly funny Sock Monster also join to help. There are going to be wild twists, swinging dancing feet and a lot of turning before the puzzle is solved…

Also available: 

Stop Secret Mysteries #1: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster

The sock-trap has been set! A horrific sockmonster, Stinker, is on the loose!

In the opening of this charmingly funny middle-grade series, top-secret cases are being solved. Why are there only odd socks in the cabinet, and where have the hairclips and remote controls vanished?

The peculiar events begin when a strange creature snatches the last pair of socks from ten-year-old Hilla. She catches a glimpse of a fluffy, golden tail and finds a color-changing hair as evidence. A top-secret mystery must be solved, in which Hilla is helped by her neighbors Maisa and Roni-Toni. Hilla’s grandmother Mitsi clearly knows more than she’s telling, and in the end there’s an explanation for everything that no one would have expected…

Age group: 8+

Reading material:
English samples & synopses
Finnish editions

Mabel Merryweather Series

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

A fast and funny middle grade 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!

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!

#4 Mabel Merryweather and the Crowbar Gala

The fourth title in this cracking detective series for middle-grade readers. Nick and Lilly go camping and birdwatching on an island. The news reports say that a bunch of bandits have escaped from prison. The old factory building on the opposite shore is being used for organizing the Crowbar Gala, in which awards for the most successful bandits are given out. Without the wits of Nick, Lilly, and the mighty Mabel Merryweather, these goons would be able to continue with their mischief

Available titles: 

#1 Mabel Merryweather and the Miniature Pirates
#2 Mabel Merryweather and King of Thieves
#3 Mabel Merryweather and Cheesy Mystery
#4 Mabel Merryweather and the Crowbar Gala

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-graders. Respecting the old traditions of the genre, there are mysterious whispers and dark corridors – but also friendship and laughter.

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?

3#: The Secrets of Grimhill: 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?

Also available:
#1: The Secrets of Grimhill: Seven Lily-of-the-Valleys
#2: The Secrets of Grimhill: The Blood Red Crystal

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+, dystopia, love story

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
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 Finlandia award and 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 Handmaids 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 Topelius Award 2023, the City of Tampere Literature Prize 2023, and Kuvastaja Prize 2023!
✓ Sang was chosen by the readers as one of the Top 100 Finnish books of the 21st century!
✓ The sequel, Naraka, is a 2024 Topelius Award nominee! 
✓ 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 Finlandia Prize 2023 and Topelius Prize 2024
✓ Sanna Isto is a two-time winner of the Arvid Lydecken award (2012 & 2017) and was twice nominated for the Finlandia Prize (2017 & 2023)

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!
✓ INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff’s first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022

#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 to the Mini Science series sold to China!
✓ 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!