This year we celebrated the centenary of the birth of Kirsi Kunnas (1924-2021), who renewed Finnish poetry for children. Hence, children’s poetry has received much attention in schools and libraries. In the editorial, Aino-Maria Kangas suggests that the vitality of Finnish poetry for children largely rests on the Finnish language, which readily lends itself to writing rhymes and free verse. Kangas collection of children’s poems, Sänkymönkiäisen pyjamapäivä (WSOY 2024, ill. by Emmi Jormalainen), is inspired by everyday life and encourages readers to marvel at the versatility of the Finnish language.
Heli Halme has studied the illustrations of five new collections of children’s poetry. She notes that illustrators of poetry have to make more compromises and adjustments than picturebook illustrators do, since the spreads typically include several poems with a range of different themes. However, the poetic language may allow illustrators of poetry to use their own imagination more freely.
The Baltic Sea is central to Leena Paasio’s YA-novels. Her latest one, Meren koskettamat (WSOY 2024), begins with a gripping scene from the sinking of the passenger ship Estonia 30 years ago. Katri Karasma’s article reveals that Paasio got the idea to write this modern orphan girl story from re-reading Anni Swan’s Iris rukka (1916).
Rimma Erkko argues that Finno-Ugric and Scandinavian folk tradition and myths feature frequently in re-written form in today’s books for children and young adults. For example, characters from the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, appear in both non-fiction books and graphic novels. Hence, young people today may know Finnish folk tradition better than their elders do.
Niklas Bengtsson sheds light on the background of the popular miniature-sized pixi-books. Their Danish publisher brought them to the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1953. Since then, the book series have thrived in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Finland for over 70 years. Lately, Finnish pixi-books are distributed in Advent calendars. Bengtsson suggests that these inexpensive miniature books could be used to promote reading interest.
The Lukutikku-column presents the advances of the project initiated in 2012 in which elderly volunteers read together with primary school pupils who need extra support.
The Onnimanni Prize 2024 goes to ERTE, which is Seinäjoki city library’s undertaking to create nationwide library services that promote children’s and adolescents’ reading and reading skills. ERTE is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Translated: Maria Lassén-Seger.
