The German rights to DAD MAN AND THE HORRIBLE HYPNOSIS sold to Mixtvision

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We are thrilled to announce that the bestselling DAD MAN series will continue in Germany! Mixtvision has acquired the rights to book 3 in the bestselling Dad Man series, Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency.

This deal follows the successful launch of the first two books in February, Book 3 will hit shelves in Spring 2025.

Here’s what Lena Frenzel, publishing director from Mixtvision had to say:

Super-Dad took us and our readers by storm. We can’t wait for his third adventure to be published in German!

Meanwhile in Denmark, Bogoo will publish Book 2 (Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother) later this year.

Already a modern Finnish children’s classic with over 200,000 copies sold, the Dad Man series is fast-paced, visually bold, and hilarious – perfect for readers 7+. Book 3 was also nominated for the Runeberg Prize 2023!

“Imaginative humour… thrillingly expressive illustrations… instantly joyful.”

– Tähtivaeltaja magazine

The rights are still available in Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, US/UK and Spain.

Request materials for the DAD MAN series here!

The Dad Man series:
Arttu Unkari, illustrated by Kai Vaalio

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

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

✓  over 200,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓  German and Danish rights sold!
✓  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants
✓  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers
✓  Books in the series have been nominated for the Storytel awards 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Best children’s audiobook), Best Newcomer of the Year 2020, and the Runeberg Prize 2023!
✓  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

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

Publication info the DAD MAN series: 

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), DENMARK: Bogoo (books 1-2), GERMANY: Mixtvision (books 1-3)

Reading Material:
German editions (Books #1 & #2)
Danish edition (Book #1)
English sample (Book #4)
English synopses
Series presentation
Finnish editions

About author


Arttu Unkari

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education (University of Helsinki, 2015) who majored in ethics and philosophy.  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language. His books are enjoyed by adults as well because they contain layers that open up differently to readers of all ages. This is one of the reasons Dad Man is such a great series for the whole family.

As an author Unkari is a Runeberg prize nominee 2023 for the third instalment of the Dadman series: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis (Isämies ja hyytävä hypnoosi, Otava 2022). The Runeberg Prize is a literary prize awarded by the newspaper Uusimaa, the City of Porvoo, the Finnish Writers' Union, the Finnish Critics' Association and the Finland’s-Swedish Writer’s Association. The prize was established in 1986 and it is awarded annually in Porvoo on 5th February, the day when Finland celebrates their national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.  All of his previous books (Dad Man and the Exploding poop, Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother,  Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis and Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp) have been nominated for best children’s audiobook in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Finnish Storytel awards. He’s also participated in making a Finnish language schoolbook (Loikka 3, Otava 2022).

Unkari is a sought after inspirational speaker in his home country. He’s visited schools all over Finland advocating for the importance of reading.

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About author


Kai Vaalio

Kai Vaalio (b. 1986) is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dad Man Series. Together they’ve made several books about this goofy detective and his clever little posse. The Dad Man Series has received Storytel Awards and Runeberg Junior 2023 award nominations. Vaalio’s been on and off in the graphic industry since 2005 when he graduated as a graphic designer from Lahti College of Arts and Crafts. In 2018 he got his bachelor’s degree from Lahti University of Applied Science.

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