A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s Winnie-the-Pooh is celebrating his 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, literary scholar Meeri Pihlström visited the place that inspired the beloved classic’s Hundred Acre Wood. In her essay, she reflects on the interplay between reality and imagination that is characteristic of the Winnie-the-Pooh -books, suggesting that this quality has likely contributed to their enduring status as classics.
Picturebook researcher Mirja Nieminen has interviewed author-illustrator Anne Vasko about her intriguing international picturebook cooperation with Japanese artist Toshiyuki Fukuda. Together Vasko and Fukuda have created the flip book “When Morning Meets Evening / When Evening Meets Morning” in which the paths of a girl searching for the Tree of Life and a bear intersect. The book challenges traditional concepts of picturebook structure while encouraging readers to consider the visual and linguistic aesthetics of diverse cultures. Vinha’s publishing company has published the picturebook in Finnish, and the publishing house 888books has published it in Japanese.
In spring 2026, Children’s author Anniina Tarasova attended the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy for the first time. At the fair, she noted how Finland, despite its small language community, managed to stand out in an international context. At present, Finnish children’s literature is particularly valued abroad for books that address major, often challenging themes in ways that are accessible to young readers. In today’s global climate, such books are in demand in order to encourage independent thinking in children. Emotional skills have also remained a prominent trend in children’s publishing across many countries for several years.
Children’s and young adult literature is currently discussed on a wide range of platforms, yet many still feel it receives insufficient attention. In an interview conducted by Päivi Heikkilä-Halttunen, five active critics share their views on the current state of children’s literature criticism. One key challenge is visibility: children’s and young adult books receive less critical attention in daily newspapers than adult literature. At their best, however, the diverse platforms for children’s literature reviews can significantly increase public awareness of new books.
Kaisa Laaksonen, director of the Finnish Institute for Children’s Literature, has sent a survey to Nordic and European organizations dedicated to children’s and young adult literature, asking how different countries promote reading among young people. Across all responses, concerns emerged about increasing competition for children’s leisure time and the effects of growing screen use. Numerous literacy initiatives and reading promotion programs are underway or in development. In her editorial, Laaksonen pays particular attention to Norwegian and Danish efforts to strengthen the role of school libraries. Several countries also make use of expert-curated book recommendation lists that help pupils find reading material suited to their interests and reading abilities. Laaksonen strongly advocates for similar practices to become an established part of reading promotion and literacy support in Finland.
Translation Maria Lassén-Seger