Children and YA, Autumn 2013 by Otavan kirjat

The hilarious Oddsville boys Tatu and Patu are no strangers to whacky humour!

AINO HAVUKAINEN AND SAMI TOIVONEN Tatu and Patu’s Odd Inventions Through the Ages (Tatun ja Patun kummat keksinnöt kautta aikojen) A morning routine machine for making-up or mummifying ancient Egyptians, a mammoth-tooth communication system for Stone Agers, a wheel-separator-block-box for Sumerians! Oddsville thinking would have changed the course of history!”

An English excerpt will be available APPROX. 32 pages / 230 x 290 mm / AUGUST 2013 / otava publishing company

History would have been different indeed if Oddsville brain capacity had been applied to inventions throughout the ages. When Tatu and Patu rev up their brain cells, they churn out all kinds of original ideas that would have delighted people from the past. Meanwhile, the book gives clues as to what was actually invented at different stages of history. Plus: Tatu and Patu design a school uniform for the future that will turn schoolchildren and their parents green with envy!

Pekka Holmström

Aino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen work together as children’s authors, illustrators, and graphic designers. They are best known as the creators of the hilarious Oddville boys, Tatu and Patu, whose limitless imagination we can admire already in several picture books. The anarchic humour of these hugely popular illustrated books appeals to children and adults alike. Tatu and Patu books rights have been sold to twenty-two countries.

Contact: Katja Kaulio, Foreign Rights Coordinator • +358 9 1996 323 • katja.kaulio@otava.fi Uudenmaankatu 10, 00120 Helsinki, Finland, +358 9 19961, oga@otava.fi, otava.fi/oga OGA represents foreign rights for Otava Publishing Company Ltd and Like Publishing Ltd.

An easy, fun way to learn new words in English.

mauri kunnas The silly picture dictionary (Hullunkurinen kuvasanakirja) A little text, lots of pictures – picking up English is easy when you’re learning from a fun book! Let’s play school! This colourful Finnish-English picture dictionary encourages eager pre-schoolers and elementary school pupils to practice and learn English on their own. Their vocabulary will grow as they identify and name everyday objects, plus a few that are a bit more exciting: ghosts, pirates, treasure chests….

APPROX. 48 pages / 230 x 290 mm / September 2013 / otava publishing company

At present Mauri Kunnas is undoubtedly Finland’s most successful author of children’s books. To date, way over forty books of his have been published, in thirty languages in thirty-two countries – including Finnish and Finland – for a total of almost 7 million copies. His books for children have aroused enormous interest around the world. The best-known internationally is Santa Claus. It has already been translated into twenty-six languages, and it has sold more than a million copies. The sales of all Kunnas translations already exceed 2,5 million copies.

Katja Lösönen

For more information about Mauri Kunnas and his works please see his homepage in www.maurikunnas.net

When everything goes wrong – that´s where the adventure begins!

Ninka Reittu messi and the mystery cat (Messi ja Mysteeri. Kaikki järjestyy!) The debut picture book from a promising young illustrator is a good-natured, fast-paced adventure for the youngest members of the family

An English excerpt will be available approx. 40 pages / 210 x 255 mm / OCTOBER 2013 / otava publishing company

The mid-most of the middle kittens of the Top Pot cat family, Messi often gets lost in thought. When the family goes to visit Grandma, Messi accidentally ends up the wrong train, and it looks like things are going to go badly awry. Luckily Messi meets Mystery, a cat who seems to know everything, can do everything, and assures Messi that everything is going to be just fine. Mystery promises to take Messi to Grandma’s, but only after they have a few adventures. The adventures begin right away, too: real hound-bandits board the train! Eavesdropping on them, Messi learns that the cat with the blue fur has been kidnapped and is being held on an island. The new friends decide to rescue the cat, calling on the help of a smug seagull and a friendly seal along the way.

Ninka Reittu (b. 1982) is an illustrator, art teacher, and artisan. Reittu

Kari Hautala

imbues both images and text with a uniquely heart-warming ambiance. She has also illustrated textbooks and authored comic books.

The start of a new fresh series!

veronica lassenius fungi - getting tails wagging (Fungi. Pyrstöt pyörimään!) One-of-a-kind neighbours, funny coincidences, thrilling conundrums! Fungi food, fungi shampoo, fungi hats! The subterranean Fungi House is a real melting pot of communal living – it’s no wonder that Frida’s and Max’s imagination takes flight…

An English sample is available 96 pages / 167 x 200 mm / AUGUST 2013 / otava publishing company

Elementary school pupils Frida and Max live in a unique underground block of flats, where something interesting is always going on. When curious, excitable Frida and thoughtful, musical Max start investigating the affairs of their neighbours and the Fungi Building, life turns into an adventure – because things aren’t always what they seem! There are two stories in this book. The Fungi cartoon tales are created by Veronica Lassenius and Pablo Jordi and their Stor Fisk studio. The Fungi cartoon series has 26 episodes. There are plans for new cartoon episodes, as well as a possible film and a Fungi game. The Stor Fisk studio has won a number of awards and is also responsible for the Saari cartoon series, which has been sold to several countries.

Tommi Tuomi

www.fungihouse.com

An easy-going urban tale

saska saarikoski our dad is the tooth troll (Meidän isä on hammaspeikko) Illustrated by ERIKA KALLASMAA “My Dad, work at a bank? No way! He’s a tooth troll working undercover,” decides Leo, as he heads off on an adventure

An English excerpt will be available

Saska Saarikoski (b. 1963) is a reporter for Finland’s largest daily. Our Dad is the Tooth Troll is her first children’s book. This easy-going, humorous story is perfect for young schoolchildren and for reading out loud. The good-natured illustrations are by prize-winning illustrator Erika Kallasmaa.

Jorma Marstio

approx. 80 pages / 128 x 190 mm / AUGUST 2013 / otava publishing company

Leo manages to open the briefcase his father forgot at home and discovers tiny hammers, files, and a magnifying glass. Now he understands why he needs to brush his teeth so carefully and why Dad says folks can’t live off sweets alone! Leo decides to deliver the briefcase to his father at work, but the mishaps begin the moment he steps into the tram. Before long, he is on the run, with a pair of security guards, an angry chef, a gang of kids and a barking poodle at his heels...

A scrumptious urban tale that’s best read out loud

veera salmi pony and puluboi´s splash-proof book (Puluboin ja Ponin loisketiivis kilja) Illustrated by Emmi Jormalainen This ultra-contemporary story of a girl who wants to be a pony and her pigeon friend will tickle both children and adults, especially when read out loud

An English sample will be available approx. 160 pages / 145 x 190 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Puluboi is engaged in a critical mission: he has to save a princess. HELP! HELP! squeals the pretty princess on his PlayStation. Pony wants company, but Puluboi just keeps sitting at his computer as if glued there. Back at home, the only thing Pony finds is Mom fussing over the baby. Even Dad has left for the lighthouse to seek inspiration for his art. Then Pony gets such a bizarre card from him that she decides to send Puluboi off to the island to make sure everything is OK. But SQUAWK!, pigeons aren’t the best flyers! ”The book of Puluboi of Pony is a delightful example of what can result when you let your imagination run wild.” – Pohjalainen

Veera Salmi is a kindergarten teacher and mother of two. The Book of

Pekka Holmström

Pony and Puluboi was published in 2012. The rights are sold to Sweden.

Sadle up! Fun for all horse-mad girls and boys

reetta niemelä my horse friends - star hill stables - a fill-in book (Oma hevosystäväni. Tikkumäen talli - Täytettävä kirja) Illustrated by Salla Savolainen This dream book for horse lovers is the perfect place to jot down notes about stable-friends – whether horse, hobbyhorse, or human

An English sample will be available

Sergio Machado

approx. 32 pages / 140 x 202 mm / august 2013 / otava publishing company

What’s your best horse friend’s nickname? How would you describe its personality? What about its favourite treat… Filled with colourful illustrations, this book makes a wonderful gift for children who love animals. In addition to fill-in sections, the book contains tips on caring for horses and horse-themed reflections. Its crowning touches are fill-in, full-page spreads about Christmas at the stable and the best-ever riding camp. Author Reetta Niemelä and illustrator Salla Savolainen’s Starhill Stables and The Dogs of Starhill Stables have found a devoted audience; the rights to the first book in the series have been sold to seven countries.

Maisie’s action-packed adventures with the Robbersons continue!

siri kolu The robbersons and the noble hunt (Me Rosvolat ja vaakunaväijy) Illustrated by Tuuli Juusela Knowledge of a new robber family throws the world of roadside robbers into turmoil

An English excerpt will be available 224 pages / 128 x 190 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

The lives of Maisie Vainisto and her family change in an instant, when it turns out that they are descendants of the robber-lord Elmer Twigg. Maisie no longer has to keep her contact with the Robbersons a secret, her sister Primrose begins training to become an ultra-fashionable and frightening super-robber, and their father has an identity crisis. Maisie and the Robbersons pay visits to all the other robber families to figure out the coat-of-arms syllable of each family. They believe that the combinations of letters contain the clues they need to lead them to Robber’s Handbook, hidden by Elmer Twigg. Many unexpected and awkward situations arise during the visits, and Maisie learns new lessons about robbers, the robber life, and above all, the skill of negotiation.

Mirva Kakko

“In true Scandinavian spirit, Maisie becomes a modern-day Ronia the Robbers’ Daughter. Me and the Robbersons is a brilliant, topsy-turvy, humorous book full of surprising twists and turns and sparkling with imagination. Every page is a joy to read. “- Jury Report, Silver Slate Pencil

Siri Kolu (b. 1972) is a dramaturge, director, and theatre instructor. The first book of this serie; Me and the Robbersons was awarded Finlandia Junior Prize in 2010 and its rights have been sold to fifteen countries. Me and the Robbersons won in the Netherlands the Silver Slate Pencil (Zilveren Griffel) which is the most important award a translated book can receive in The Netherlands. The second book, The Robbersons and the Bandit Karaoke was published in summer 2011 and the third book, The Robbersons and the Robbers’ Handbook was published in 2012.

A fine story about a lonely boy who learns life lessons

kreetta onkeli the boy who lost his memory (Poika joka menetti muistinsa) An unexpected friendship opens up a new world to 12-year-old Arto

An English excerpt will be available

Kreetta Onkeli (b. 1970) is a Helsinki-based children’s book author, columnist, journalist and dramaturge. Her first children’s book, The Answer Kit, was released in spring 2013.

Jouni Harala

approx. 111 pages / 128 x 185 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Arto wakes up in a park and realises that he doesn’t remember anything. He doesn’t know who he is or where he is. All he has is a piece of paper in his pocket: ”Arto, be home by five. Strawberry ice cream for dessert! Love you, Mom.” Where is Mom and what exactly happened? Arto has no idea. He heads downtown in hopes of finding something familiar. On the way, he bumps into a boy his age. Tagging along with Kimo, Arto is exposed to new boys, adults, homes, and neighbourhoods. He gets in a pinch, and then manages to get himself out again.

Nicholas, a boy and a master thief with a deep secret – the life of the northern people depends on his choices. The first part of a book trilogy.

ilkka auer - antti j. jokinen nicholas north - the curse of the hellion (Kalmattaren kirous. Nicholas North) A great new epic fantasy adventure by a Nordic born film director, in the spirit of Tolkien. The mythical figures and dark creatures of the exotic far north of Europe are brought to life in this dazzlingly imaginative trilogy. A tale of friendship, love, plunder and pillage, and heroic deeds.

Partial and synopsis in English available 256 pages / 145 x 215 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Pekka Holmström

Rights sold to Brazil and Russia

Nicholas was born with the curse of immortality, and condemned to bring disaster down on the heads of all those close to him. His village is razed to the ground, he loses his parents to the claws of a savage beast, and he is thrown among a band of thieves and ruffians to learn a trade. The cause of all his misfortunes is the evil ice-witch Hellion, who seeks to snatch Nicholas’s immortality for herself, at any cost. After one failed heist, Nicholas runs away from the caravan of robbers in the company of his trusty friend, the man-hedgehog Heshy. In the course of their flight, they encounter the beautiful Sara - halfhuman, half-sprite. Sara begs their help, for Hellion has captured the girl’s family and the other villagers and forced them to work as slaves in her mines beyond the Arctic Circle. The travellers are joined by the great sage Shaman, and their path takes them through the Underworld. There Nicholas meets the shades of his parents and hears the awful truth of his fate. On their arrival at the court of Hellion, in a vast berg of ice, Shaman’s treachery is revealed - he has delivered Nicholas to the witch in order to exchange him for his captive daughter Annukka. In the midst of a terrifying struggle, the young man attempts to free Sara, who has been taken prisoner by Hellion. Only now does Nicholas understand the significance of love and forgiveness. Shaman has acted out of fatherly love. But can the boy cursed with immortality ever find the one his heart is set on? Does the sprite-girl have any feelings for her rescuer? Nicholas must continue his own struggle to lift the curse of immor tality from his shoulders, to fulfil his destiny, written in the stars.

Ilkka Auer was awarded the Finnish Tolkien Society’s “Mirrormere”

bust in 2005 for his The Clan of the Dragon. The prize goes each year to the best work of Finnish fantasy fiction.

An arresting tale about a world of the future

reeta aarnio not afraid (Hän joka ei pelkää) What happens when a stranger stumbles into a strictly monitored society?

An English excerpt will be available

Reeta Aarnio (b. 1971) is a textbook author and teacher of junior high

school Finnish. An investigation of social consciousness, Not Afraid speaks to young people reflecting on questions of freedom and the state of the world. Aarnio has also written an acclaimed, prize-winning four-part series of fantasy novels.

HKari Hautala

250 pages / 140 x 202 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Kirai is accused of causing his little sister’s accidental death. Rejected by his tribe, he is left to drift off in a dugout canoe. This renegade from the reservation is discovered by a family living in a society where everything is closely regulated, and his appearance turns their lives upside down. Siblings Asisi and Rei live a strictly monitored existence. They are intrigued by Kirai and begin to ponder the sensibleness and boundaries of their lives. Who has the right to decide about other people’s futures? What happens to those who violate the norms?

A gripping thriller that has no room for a happy ending

siri kolu The terror inside (Pelko ihmisessä) What would it be like to live in a society based on fear? The T flu changes the world as we know it. But will it also turn loved ones into enemies?

An English excerpt will be available 200 pages / 140 x 202 mm / october 2013 / otava publishing company

The terror inside. The torment inside. The timidity inside. The tawdriness inside. This is what it reads on the note Pilvi leaves for her brother when she leaves home. As the T flu spreads, it changes everyone’s lives and all of society. Along with two hundred other flu victims, 16-year-old Pilvi is quarantined in a cave. The small-scale society has its problems of its own, and almost no future to speak of. Pilvi’s big brother Petri refuses to think of his sister as lost; rescuing her becomes his life mission. Then there’s Tuomas, who has secret schemes of his own. And Largo, Pilvi’s cave crush, about whom you just can’t quite tell…

Mirva Kakko

The acclaimed wordsmith’s new fantasy series mixes reality with Sami mythology

essi tammimaa shaman´s daughter (Noaidin tytär) Quiet Aura, who dreams of a different, more exciting life, spends a lot of time writing – and has ominous, menacing visions of wolves and of female figures hunting her.

An English excerpt will be available 250 pages / 140 x 202 mm / august 2013 / otava publishing company

Compelled by her visions, Aura begins writing stories about the warrior women of the Sami, the indigenous people of Lapland. With two of her friends, Aura sneaks off to see her favourite band, World’s End, and meets the band’s singer, the lovely and enigmatic Willow. Aura comes to learn that Willow, who is Sami, is somehow related to her visions, to the Sami she-warriors who threaten her. Aura’s childhood friend Marcus tries to stop her from getting to know Willow any better, but Aura finds herself growing increasingly entangled in the mystical, magical world of the Sami women warriors, in part through the story of her mother, who disappeared years ago. Join Aura on her saga of adventure. Shaman’s Daughter, the first instalment in YA trilogy will be released in Finland in autumn 2013. Sami influences form the basis for the story’s mysteries, and Tammimaa is skilled at building captivating, sinister ambiance.

Essi Tammimaa (b. 1981) is a writer, lecturer, freelance journalist and

JJouni harala

copy editor who has worked in the culture sector in a variety of communications capacities. Tammimaa’s debut novel Ilmestys (“Revelation”, Gummerus, 2007) was well received, and Paljain käsin (“With Bare Hands”, Gummerus, 2011) was a Runeberg prize nominee.

A collection of charming Pig comics

julia vuori pig can´t decide (Sika ei osaa päättää) Macaroon or Napoleon? Princess tart or lemon bar? Or maybe a mushroom cake? An English excerpt will be available approx. 48 pages / 290 x 230 mm / august 2013 / otava publishing company

Pig, Cow, Sadness, Penguin, Mushroom and Badger make every day a holiday. When faced with a difficult decision, pro-active inertia, a toss of the dice, or a glance at the coffee grounds prove helpful. For this gang, free-time activities and busywork spark an urgent need to slow down.

Julia Vuori’s (b. 1968) philosophical Pig gained popularity in the

Marjo Tynkkynen

weekly supplement to Finland’s largest daily as well as the comic book albums Sika (Pig), Sika Pariisissa (Pig in Paris) and Sika ja oikukas sieni (Pig and the Capricious Mushroom). Pig has also appeared in the illustrated books Sika ja värit (Pig and Colours), Sika ja tunteet (Pig and Feelings), Sika ja harrastukset (Pig and Hobbies) and Sika ja numerot (Pig and Numbers). Vuori’s style appeals to a wide range of readers: picturebook browsers, comic book enthusiasts, and lovers of art and original humour and thinking. Pig also has a big fan base in Japan.

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!) Kids won’t have time to get bored when they’re reading about the rambunctious rascals from Clatter Ridge. Problems and puzzles, brain-teasers and tongue-twisters, funny stories and shenanigans galore are in store! Year after year, Finland ranks at the top of PISA (Programme for International Students Assessment), a study of school success conducted in the OECD countries. In the country with the best students in the world, a high premium is placed on early childhood education. Author Tuula Kallioniemi and Finnish pedagogical experts have developed the Clatter Ridge product family, which combines play, games, and tasks with exciting Clatter Ridge stories, so kids stay entertained as they learn.

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!)

Tuula Kallioniemi ABC (Aapinen) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning

48 pages / 210 x 255 mm / april 2013 / otava publishing company

Emil visits Clatter Ridge Elementary with Coney. Join them and learn new letters and words at the same time. Read the speech balloons and vocabulary cards yourself!

Tuula Kallioniemi - tiina eskola the traffic book (Liikennekirja) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning Are you allowed to run and play while you’re waiting at the bus stop? Where are you supposed to put your backpack while you’re riding your bike? Practice your traffic skills while tooling around with Coney and Tiny.

approx. 40 pages / 210 x 255 mm / april 2014 / otava publishing company

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!)

Tuula Kallioniemi - kati solastie easy english (Eka englanti) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning

48 pages / 210 x 255 mm / april 2013 / otava publishing company

Greetings, polite phrases, numbers, colours, animals, food and drinks, places – learn English-language words and phrases in authentically Clatter Ridge contexts.

Tuula Kallioniemi - maarit forsback - anne kalliola time travel (Aikamatka) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning Abel Cuckoo holds a night school session for his pupils. The subject? Time. Through stimulating tasks, everyone learns about telling time, the days of the week, the months, and the seasons.

48 pages / 210 x 297 mm / april 2013 / otava publishing company

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!)

Tuula Kallioniemi - elisa haukka travel kit Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning What do you call a kid who sleeps at the hotel? A kidnapper!? Puffy and Howler learn tongue-incheek “holiday English”: transportation methods, phrases for shopping, and how to order at restaurants.

approx. 50 pages / 210 x 297 mm / april 2013 / otava publishing company

Tuula Kallioniemi - kati solastie pupperson´s play-time (Pöntisen puuhat) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning The littlest members of the family will learn to draw familiar animals, creatures, and objects with clear step-by-step instructions. Following in Pupperson’s paw prints, children will develop their perception and manual motor skills as they learn about numbers and letters.

32 pages / 210 x 297 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!)

Tuula Kallioniemi - maarit forsback - anne kalliola bull´s eye (Napakymppi) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning

48 pages / 210 x 297 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Sharpen math skills at fort-building camp! Emil and his schoolmates learn to use tools and whittle arrows for the camp’s archery class. At the same time, they practice amounts, number sequences, and addition and subtraction.

Tuula Kallioniemi - kati solastie word play (Sanaleikki) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning Fun with letters and words! Emil learns to recognise letters, syllables and words. When Pupperson and Soot join in the revelry, the letters start twisting and turning and werds egt ximed up.

approx. 48 pages / 210 x 297 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Teaching kids the joy of success

clatter ridge - let´s go! (Reuhurinne. Heti sinne!)

Tuula Kallioniemi - kati solastie stories and shenanigans - fun book 7+ (Sanailua ja tarinointia. Puuhakirja 7+) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning Get wacky with words! Coney can’t stop laughing when missing words are replaced by totally wacky ones, while Tiny only wants to create first-class sentences. Mixing funny words and sentences creates sidesplitting stories. 48 pages / 210 x 297 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company

Tuula Kallioniemi - maarit forsback - anne kalliola hundreds of secrets - math fun book 7+ (Satoja salaisuuksia. Matematiikan puuhakirja 7+) Illustrated by Jii Roikonen Tasks and teasers, quizzes and puzzles, laughs and learning What happened to our euro? There’s a rummage sale at Clatter Ridge Elementary, and the first-graders start looking for their missing coin with the thoroughness of private detectives. At the same time, they are exposed to multiplication tables, counting money, and numbers up to a hundred.

48 pages / 210 x 297 mm / july 2013 / otava publishing company