Aina Ponoi

A charming fantasy novel about Oboi who whilst searching for his lost sister ends up in an astonishing world of Aina Ponoi.

Could reading be super dangerous? Can a book be a freeway ticket to another world? Young Oboi doesn’t believe in stories, but ends up swept in one when he finds an entrance ticket in the middle of a mysterious book. The book takes Oboi to a strange fantasy world, Aina Ponoi, where he must find his sister.

Aina Ponoi is a place where everything is possible and Oboi is able to escape his worries – health troubles and his mother’s new relationship – for even a little while.

A standalone sequel to The Book of Oboi.


Benjamin Bateman and The Curse of the Mind-popping Pranks

The super embarrassed superhero-in-training Benjamin Bateman is back for another hilarious adventure!

How is the awkward superhero Benjamin Bateman managing when his archenemies are circling everywhere? The second book in the super funny middle-grade series!

Some weirdo succeeds in messing up Benjamin’s life with their little tricks: there’s salt in his hot chocolate and toothpaste all over the toilet.

Who on earth would do that? And the scary Mortem has not stopped chasing Benjamin. In order to take control of the situation, Benjamin has to learn to harness his powers – a vivid imagination and a good heart.


Stop Secret Mysteries: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster

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

The sock-trap has been set! A sock-monster, 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…


Tales of Wintertide: The Snow Queen’s Spell

Imagine if all the bedtime stories were true! The Snow Queen’s Spell begins an enchantingly funny and fantastical series for middle-grade readers. Nominated for Arvid Lydecken Prize 2020.

Greta’s little brother Kai has gone missing, but her parents act like he has never even existed. So, she embarks on a mission to find and save him, and ends up in the fairytale-like land of Wintertide, where she becomes a member of the Storytellers Guild. Before Greta can save Kai, she needs to learn to tell her own story.

But just what is her story? Is it a fairy tale about the Snow Queen? At least it seems as if it is;  Greta must now become a member of the Guild to break the enchanted spell cast by the Queen of Coldness. It’s clear that the Queen is definitely not going to let Kai go without a fight.


Tales of Wintertide 2: The Rose and the Dragon

  • The second title of the Arvid Lydecken Prize-nominated series!

Part Two of the Tales of Wintertide series deals with growing up as a young woman through a reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale.

To become a member of the Storytellers Guild, Are must cope with a horrible task. A huge dragon holds over the city of Roses, and only Are can destroy the bloodthirsty beast.

But how do you tell apart a monster and who the real enemy of roses is?


The Book of Oboi

In the city where nobody reads – can a book save the World? What about an orphaned boy who doesn’t believe in stories?

  • Veera Salmi is the bestselling author of over 20 titles.

A spectacular novel about a world where literacy has been decimated and a boy who does not believe in stories. Thirteen-year-old Oboi has run away to find his former homestead. He ends up in a peculiar and disaster-stricken city where no one knows how to read. People are led by the mysterious Wanda, who, via devices hooked up to one’s palm, says what everyone should know or do. At a flea market, Oboi meets a woman who gives him a book. According to her, this book can change everything and help find what Oboi thought was lost forever. Suddenly the story-averse Oboi notices he has become the hero, that orphaned boy deemed to save the whole world.

PRAISE:

In Veera Salmi’s youth novel straight out of the oven, literacy is lost and people are controlled by technology – The Book of Oboi praises stories, adventure and dreams.

– Keskipohjanmaa newspaper, Finland

In Veera Salmi’s youth novel straight out of the oven, literacy is lost and people are controlled by technology – The Book of Oboi praises stories, adventure and dreams.

Keskipohjanmaa newspaper, Finland


Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis

If students act well-behaved and don’t cause trouble, something’s seriously wrong.

·  The third Dad Man title nominated for Runeberg Prize 2023 & Storytel Award 2023 (best children’s audio book)!

·  4 books available and more to come

·  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

·  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers

·  Anarchist plotlines and multilayered humour that appeals to all ages

·  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

When Oona and Eeli’s class gets a substitute teacher, strange things start to happen at school: the students become obedient, and at the same time get all excited about playing the recorder. Meanwhile, a strange series of factory fires keep policeman Dad Man busy, who, as usual, is vigorously chasing a false lead.

The appearance of the new teacher at the crime scenes makes Oona suspicious. Even the adults start to become obedient as the weird flute playing trend is spreading like wildfire and this time Eeli is of no help to Oona. Will Oona succeed on her own in stopping the substitute teacher from taking over the world?


Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother

Little siblings are always up to no good – sometimes they even get tangled in thefts!

·  The second Dad Man title published in 2021!

·  Nominated for Storytel awards 2021 (Best children’s audiobook)

·  4 books available and more to come

·  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

·  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers

·  Anarchist plotlines and multilayered humour that appeals to all ages

·  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

Something odd is going on, because adults have started to behave stranger than usual – they are telling the truth!

At the same time, there’s a wave of mysterious gold thefts in the city – even goldfish go missing! Oona is sure that her cute little brother Veikka knows more than he lets on. But how to prove it? As usual, the totally incompetent policeman Dad Man is mishandling his robbery investigations, and Oona must rush to the rescue. But the evil little brother is always one step ahead.


Dad Man and the Exploding Poop

Adults who think they know everything and children who are forced to clean up the messes – the Dad Man series offers hilarious adventures!

·  The first Dad Man title published in 2020!

·  Nominated for Storytel awards 2020 (Best children’s audiobook) and Best Newcomer of the Year 2020

·  4 books available and more to come

·  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

·  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers

·  Anarchist plotlines and multilayered humour that appeals to all ages

·  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

A horrific poop explosion flies the minister of education to the Moon in the middle of a regular evening. And even worse is yet to come: it turns out there’s a mad inventor behind it all, who is threatening more explosions if no one solves his twisted riddle.

The pride and role model of the police force, the heroic Dad Man, is not one to flinch and immediately sets out to solve the case. However, his nine-year-old daughter Oona knows that Dad Man’s investigations lead to nothing but disarray. Oona has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.


Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp

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

·    The newest Dad Man title was published in January 2023!

·    4 books available and more to come

·    Book 3, Dadman and the Horrible Hypnosis, is nominated for the Children*s Runeberg 2023!

·    For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

·    A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers

·    Anarchist plotlines and multilayered humour that appeals to all ages

·    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.

Oona and her friends find out that Dad Man would never have gotten into police school without help – from them! How is that possible? The friends have no choice but to jump into a time machine and go back to Dad Man’s police academy years to find out.

The four friends find themselves at the centre of a mysterious series of art theft. The case is being investigated by the police academy’s quirkiest cadets, including, of course, Dad Man! Luckily, Oona and friends have a clue of their own. There is a criminal in the police school who they have already caught once.


Black Moon Lighthouse

Black Moon Lighthouse continues the charming magical adventure of Saimi and her friends of the secret folk!

  • Book 1 in the series won the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2022
  • Nominated for the Finlandia Children’s and YA Prize 2022
  • 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

Something truly mysterious is happening in Bluehill! A group called “Bedtime’s Ugliest Fears Forgotten: Orcs Out at Night” aka B.U.F.F.O.O.N, which persecutes the secret folk, is circling the streets. Indeed, it seems that some folk have gone missing already! Saimi and her friends try to find out what it’s all about, but that is hard to do when adults are disturbing them. And if that wasn’t enough, a bunch of ghosts decide to celebrate the Kekri festival. Eventually the worst fears of Saimi and her friends come true: one of them disappears!

A dangerous operation begins, illuminated by the silver-coloured heartfires of dragons shining deep from within the ground. Is it possible that the ancient lighthouse would once more shine the beacons of the secret folk?


Benjamin Bateman – Super Embarrassed Superhero

What if your superhero costume looked like a butterfly and your only superpowers would be having a good heart and great imagination? Welcome to the embarrassing life of Benjamin Bateman!

  • First joint 3-book series for award-winning and bestselling writer-illustrator super team Hannele Lampela and Pasi Pitkänen!
  • Film in development!
  • Nominee for the Arvid Lydecken Award 2023
  • Rights sold to Denmark!
  • The second book will be published in Finland in May 2023!

The wholly hilarious and thrilling adventures of a super embarrassing superhero for middle-graders!

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.

The story is enriched by the colorful illustrations of Pasi Pitkänen.


Anni the Friend Tamer on the Red Carpet

If doing good was easy, everyone would do it!

Anni is inspired to do something good. Her class is shown a news clip about a hurricane in Brazil, and Anni sees a girl in it with a t-shirt exactly like one of her own. She must do something to help! Anni starts to make a movie with her friend Riia. The movie will be shown in the library auditorium to collect money for charity work in Brazil. But things don’t go as planned – the project is hijacked by “the pink girls”.

Anni’s mom, on the other hand, is having a career crisis, since her blog is not making money. But Anni can always be relied on for ideas! Anni learns that doing good is surprisingly easy – and surprisingly hard. The secret might actually be… teamwork


Anni the Friend Tamer in Salty Waters

Dealing with ghosts – and tricky cousins – is a lot more fun on a sunny island!

Get ready for some maritime vibes! If you like Vi på Saltkråkan (Seacrow Island) by Astrid Lindgren, this book may well be your new favorite.

Anni and her family spend the summer on a small island with her cousin’s family. Anni doesn’t remember her cousin Niko that well, but oh boy, does he turn out to be a pest. Niko keeps telling Anni about a ghost on the island, an old laundry lady who was also named Anni. Anni is not a gullible person, but when the evidence piles up, it’s hard not to be spooked… On a more fun note, a big treasure hunt is held on the island and Anni is determined to win it!


Anni the Friend Tamer

Shy people of the world, unite!

  • With hilariously quirky 4-colour artwork that perfectly illustrates the two sides of Anni: fun and witty at home, quiet and shy at school
  • Teaching middle grade readers that it’s cool to be “weird” and that everyone can find their tribe of like-minded people
  • An anti “pink girls” series!
  • Rights sold to Germany and Albania!
  • Mari Ahokoivu won the Tieto Lauri Award in 2022, Puupäähattu Comic Book Award 2023 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 2021

Anni is a 10-year-old girl. When her friend Miisa moves abroad, Anni has a chilling realization: she has never had to find a new friend. Is it too late to learn how to make friends? Obviously, no one can learn a skill this big when they’re 10, can they? Anni also has another problem. Her new pet pig only wants to stay in his safe place, under the table. Good thing Anni’s brother has just had a back operation, as this means he has lots of time to lie in bed and dole out advice. Anni’s parents are alright as far as parents go, even if they laugh a bit too much at their own jokes.

So it’s not all bad – Anni just needs to become a ‘friend tamer’!


Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Third title in the Arvid Lydecken and Runerberg Junior nominated series!

Agnes and her mother have moved into their mysterious manor where summer camps are held. Suddenly, drawings that no one claims to have drawn appear during an arts summer camp. A strange shadow is captured by Agnes’s camera, as if someone is standing next to the window in the empty room. Does the manor have more secrets to share?


Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Agnes’ adventures continue in this sequel that is both a ghost story and a family mystery.

Agnes and her mother have inherited a beautiful old villa, but there seems to be something strange about it. There is a lovely scent of flowers in the air, even though there aren’t any flowers in the houses. Every morning, the lid of an old piano is found open even though no one has been playing it. More importantly, why can they hear steps on the staircase to the attic?

PRAISE:

I really like the stories with Agnes. They are mysterious and have an atmosphere. Some things are unsaid in the book, so the reader can understand the book the way he/she wants. The story leads children to think about their family’s history and take the interest in the lives of their grandparents. This is very important. The story combines old and the wise with new and young.


Black Moon Inn

Black Moon Inn starts a new magical middle-grade series irresistibly blending mythology and environmental protection!
  • Winner of the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2022
  • 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.

Mabel Merryweather and the King of Thieves

The wild gang is back! Nick, Lilly, Supergranny Mabel and her speaking rooster face a new enemy: an art hustler. Second book of a new middle grade mystery series!

The town of Dalton is celebrating a local children’s poet’s 140th anniversary, and everyone is dressed up as a character from a poem. But amongst the happy people there’s also a gentleman thief who has terrorized art museums all spring. Through many mistakes and misunderstandings Nick and Lilly help the police to catch a thief – and to teach a lesson to a grumpy literary critic.

Black-and-white illustrations by Teemu Juhani


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
GERMANY: Mixtvision Verlag
HUNGARY: Pagony


Mabel Merryweather and the Miniature Pirates

Nick and Lilly’s visit to their rule-loving, child-hating uncle turns into an adventure as the children get to know their exiting, eccentric neighbor: Mabel Merryweather. Mabel and her friends are preparing for a flower arrangement competition, when the town is hit by a jeweler thief. Nick, Lilly and Mabel have their own problems as Mabel’s decorative miniature pirates have come to live and are rummaging through the backyards. And what happened to the main judge of the competition – a pop singer Monika who disappeared in the same day?  Something must be done to bring peace and order back to the town of Dalton.

Black-and-white illustrations by Teemu Juhani


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Mixtvision Verlag
HUNGARY: Pagony


The Little Shop of Nightmares 3: Sticky the Horrible Snowman

Same awesome monsters. New blizzardy trouble!

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. A well-meaning but horribly clumsy snowman keeps getting in their way and stopping their every effort to stop the snowing inside.

Book 3 of The Little Shop of Nightmares series


Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig)
ESTONIA: Postimees
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
RUSSIA: Teenbook Publishing
SWEDEN: Hegas


Miss Swift’s Weird and Wonderful House

Illustrated by Teemu Juhani

Twelve monkeys, a matador ghost and tigers in the garden – Miss Swift’s house has everything imaginable, except people. But why does she have three bedrooms ready for children?

Miss Swift lives happily alone in an extraordinary house. And she is not completely alone, she has twelve monkeys, some garden
tigers and one ghost to keep her company. But when a little boy appears on her doorstep, before Miss Swift even notices it Pekka and his two cousins are rummaging through her house, looking for their missing beast. And if there’s anything Miss Swift despises in this world it is children.

But why does the house have so many bedrooms? And why are the children feeling so home at Miss Swifts house? Is there
something she could have forgotten?

 

Miss Swift’s Weird and Wonderful House is a new fantasy story for middle-grade readers full of funny details and fast-paced events. Teemu Juhani’s illustrations bring the house and its eccentric characters to life.


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada


Julia & P.A.L.

Toy Story meets The Avengers! The first part of the new exciting middle-grade series where plush animals have super powers.

Illustrations by Nadja Sarell

More than anything else, Julia, 10 years, wishes that somebody would like her. She can explain the structure of the universe, but has no idea how to talk to her classmates. What she doesn’t know is that she already has her very own best friend – her toy bunny Buck, who in reality is a top secret agent of the Plush Animal League (P.A.L.).

The P.A.L. headquarters is located in outer space where the agents follow children through their monitor, ready to act immediately when their child needs help. And Julia does! Buck turns Julia’s bed into a magic flying spacecraft and takes her on a ride through space and time. Buck wants to show Julia that the same things that make her feel out of place among her classmates now, are her unique character strengths that will make her happy and loved in the future. But the P.A.L. has an enemy; the Soldiers of Vombat, an army of forgotten toys. They plot to overtake Plush Animal League and control children’s actions and wishes. Julia finds out that she is the only one who can stop the evil plan!

 


Hilja and the Operation Christmas Magic

Book 4: Hilja and the operation Christmas magic

 

Christmas is coming to the Green house! There’s only a month to find out:

a) whether elves really exist, b) where did the gifts disappeared from the hallway, and c) whether things you can’t see can still be true.

Hilja’s sister Veini claims that Christmas is just a publicity trick, but Hilja decides to prove that Christmas is real and magical. A secret operation begins, and it involves making an elf trap, lots of secret notes and spying on neighbors. Even Santa is not having it easy – he has to take part to Hilja’s lie detection test.

Many, many miscommunications are ahead before the family of the Green house can finally calm down for Christmas.


Adventure calls, Hilja

Book 3 of Hilja series

The long-awaited fall break is here. Hilja and the neighbourhood grannies all squeeze into a tiny car and take a trip to the big city. The city is full of things to do, but are the grannies taking care of Hilja – or the other way around?


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Mäkelä (orig.)
GERMANY: WooW Books


Hello, Hilja here

Book 2 of Hilja series

Hilja is starting the first grade. Things are going well: she has practiced reading with the cows at the farm, and new friends are nice. But Hilja’s big mouth gets her into troubles every now and then.

 


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Mäkelä (orig.)
GERMANY: WooW Books


Hilja’s Summer in The Green House

Book 1 of the Hilja series

 

An exciting and fun book series for primary school readers. Also allowed for adults!

 

“I got the name Hilja (engl. quiet) because Mom and Dad thought I would be as calm as my big sister. But I can tell you that moms and dads don’t always know everything…”

Hilja is a seven-year-old girl who lives in a wooden house that always needs some fixing. Her family consists of her mother, father, little sister Taimi and big sister Veini. Grandpa is also closely involved in the life of the Green House. He helps Dad with the renovation, takes the kids to fish, and tells jokes.  Hilja has only seen her grandma in an old photograph. However, there are three ladies in the neighborhood who are making sure that Hilja doesn’t have just one grandma but three!

The late summer is full of hustle and bustle. Weather they are celebrating something, catching fish or making Midsummer magic it is never boring! When cousin Martti comes to visit, Agent H and Agent M begin a spy mission to Aunt Strawberry’s house. The excursion ends up in the aunt’s vegetable garden, where secret agents are assigned the task K – weeding.

The idyllic countryside scenery provides room for imagination. These stories are not full of action and crime., but life in the Green house is never too smooth, and the story is spiced with just the right touch of anarchist humor.


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Mäkelä (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: WooW Books


Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

First book of the series

11-years-old Agnes has to move to a small countryside town with her mother. Her parents are divorced, and Agnes doesn’t know anyone
from her new hometown. She is not having the best summer of her life.

But then something weird happens. Agnes finds an old tombstone that has her name and birthday engraved on it – only the birth year is different. Whose grave is it?

Agnes befriends a boy called ”Bun”, who is also lonely. Together they start to solve the mystery of the tombstone. They find out more and more about a family who lived in the town years and years ago. When they go visit the family’s abandoned mansion, Agnes realizes something. She has been there before – in her dreams.

What is happening? It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to Agnes. Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?

Coming up: Book #2 to be published in 2021. More information coming soon.


Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Carlsen
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
RUSSIA: Rosman


Monster Message

Monster Nanny Series, book 3

Will be published in Spring/Summer 2020

Hellman kids face new troubles. Mom and Dad want to move into a bigger home on the other side of the city. Mimi’s talking bathrobe feels strangely shrunk, and drops hints of leaving. Monstrologist Runar Kalli is starting to act his age without his rejuvenating root potion – and he’s 122. Something must be done. When Mimi finds crumpled leaves with strange markings in her room, they look like messages from underground, but who’s delivering them and why? And why does the Gatekeeper of the underground world appear in their bathroom?


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag
RUSSIA: Rosman
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

 


The Lost City

Book 2: The Lost City

Hugo and Lydia are looking for a boy they met on a beach. Suddenly they get pulled into the ocean by beautiful mist horses. They find themselves in Marepolis, an ancient lost city under the water.


The Witch Mirror

Book 1: The Witch Mirror

Hugo and Lydia find a strange map between the pages of a book called ”Witch Mirror”. They follow the map to the Secret Library, where old and rare books are stored and cherished. From the library they find a way to a magical land where witches are preparing for a celebration. But when Lydia gets trapped inside an evil mirror, Hugo has to do everything he can to save her.


Little Shop of Nightmares 2: The Mystery of the Missing Teeth

Book 2: The Little Shop of Nightmares: 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! Nina decides to help vampire Lucas, and find him new teeth from Mr. Krook’s shop. But while they look for the teeth it turns out that other things have gone missing too…


Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Euromedia
DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Postimees Publishing
GERMANY: Egmont Schneiderbuch
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
NETHERLANDS: De Vier Windstreken
NORWAY: Fontini
RUSSIA: Teenbooks Publishing / Kompas Guide
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Hegas
TURKEY: Epsilon


Madelein and Michelin’s Cooking Club

Twins Madeleine and Michelin love cooking! Together with their friend Slice and their baby sister Bebé, they start making a pizza for their football team’s bake sale. When their mysterious neighbor Rosemary pops by with her magical pepper mill, everything goes haywire – can they fix everything before the bake sale?

Madeleine and Michelin’s Cooking Club is the first installment in a new series for beginning readers. It’s full of humor and cooking tips, with colorful illustrations that compliment the story excellently.


Little Shop of Nightmares 1: The Terrible Tickling Powder

When Nina, 9 years, 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. With a little help from a ghost called Paddy, they start looking for the untickling powder to help him, but things are certainly not made easier by Mr. Kook’s world-domination-planning pet octopus Squishy McGoo, who is a bit too quick about getting into trouble with rollerblades on its tentacles.

The Little Shop of Nightmares starts a new early readers’ series about a strange little shop and its employees… who are even stranger. You might need some untickling powder to stop laughing at this book!


Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Euromedia
DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Postimees Publishing
GERMANY: Egmont Schneiderbuch
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: De Vier Windstreken
NORWAY: Fontini
RUSSIA: Teenbooks Publishing / Kompas Guide
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Hegas
TURKEY: Epsilon


The Sparkle

Young Capricia of Wild Castle decides to harness her magical powers, one way or another!

Miss Labina, the greatest sorceress of all time, has left her precious notebook, The Sparkle, to Wild Castle’s old mistress, Crickback, in her will. This is the book Capricia wants to get her hands on!

Warnings go unheeded when Capricia sees an opportunity to become a sorceress herself. At the same time, the mysterious Acabus Hide arrives in town. But why on Earth would a sophisticated gentleman want to settle in the most run-down shack on Nefarious Square? The mystery leads Capricia and her friends Gordon and Myrick to the deepest, darkest secrets of the town, where they will find out whose magic is the strongest in a sticky situation…

“Sigrid Labina was of the opinion, that magic is to be used for good things. But on the other hand, it has been used for bad things too. A teacher can teach, but in the end everyone shall make their own decisions.”

The Sparkle is a follow-up to Wild Castle, written by Katja Krekelä and illustrated by Riikka Jäntti, which was awarded the Tampere City Literary Award 2015, and nominated for the LukuVarkaus award.


Little Brother’s Marvellous Expedition

The Countess and her Little Brother are about to embark on a big expedition into the rainforest in their back garden on a quest to track down the mythical Bogeyeribbon anaconda, a terribly dangerous giant snake. Equipped with harpoons and binoculars, the intrepid duo are ready for the jungle, where they encounter bloodthirsty swamp leopards, croaking frogs, goat traps and all sorts of other incredible things. The siblings are helped on their way by Little Brother’s matchbox-sized monkey, and a granny who lives in a house on stilts.

A skilfully-told humorous adventure story about siblinghood and adventures in one’s own back garden.


Zaida and the Fellow Combatant

After the vivid summer by the seaside, Zaida finds school even more disagreeable than before. The teacher seems to pick on her, her small circle of friends is shattered by pre-teenage angst, and Zaida becomes worried for the health of aging Ludwig. When her parents reveal their plan to take Zaida for a root-trip to India, she becomes anxious. In her escape from the difficult everyday, Zaida gets introduced to a group of youngsters who spend their time playing video games in a secret basement. Petteri, the gang’s attractive leader, wants to take a step deeper into the virtual world. He guides them into the sewer networks and server rooms beneath the city. The excitement of navigating the labyrinths and dodging guards turn into a nightmare, when Petteri’s hacker agenda of paralyzing the city gets out of hand. The ghastly characters from his simulations emerge and threaten to drag Zaida with them. In the vertigous climax Zaida gets morphed into her own virtual character. Where was the border between the concrete and the lore, or between the good and the bad?

About the series

The three novels combine psychological and magical realism with ghost stories to tell the story of Zaida, a girl adopted from a faraway country. She worries about her different looks and elderly parents, and as the only child feels lonely and disconnected. But allies and enemies in school are not all: in each of the books, Zaida gets swept into an adventure that blurs the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Balancing on the precarious threshold between childhood and adolescence, Zaida thus hovers between the worlds of everyday and imagination.

The stories follow each other in chronological order, but each book can be read independently, too.

The trilogy is richly illustrated by the author with atmospheric black-and-white drawings.


Zaida and the Summer Lightning

The second story is about the short but intense northern summer. Zaida spends it for the first time in countryside: her uncle, who tragically passed away in the first novel, has left Zaida’s father his home in a village by the sea. The small community is sustained by a steel factory, which looms over it like a benevolent giant. The family tries to clean and fix the old house as well as adapt to the circumstances very different from their city life. Sofia, a retired neighbour, has lost her sight but has a strange ability to see into people’s minds. Zaida becomes close with Sofia and her granddaughter Tuija, already in the tumult of puberty. Their summer becomes filled with moments of joy as well as tricky conflicts. When the village is hit by the abrupt closing of the steel factory, the ghosts from the past seem to return. Zaida is drawn into time-warping episode, and joins forces with Sofia to fight for the existence of the factory – and of the whole village.

About the series

The three novels combine psychological and magical realism with ghost stories to tell the story of Zaida, a girl adopted from a faraway country. She worries about her different looks and elderly parents, and as the only child feels lonely and disconnected. But allies and enemies in school are not all: in each of the books, Zaida gets swept into an adventure that blurs the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Balancing on the precarious threshold between childhood and adolescence, Zaida thus hovers between the worlds of everyday and imagination.

The stories follow each other in chronological order, but each book can be read independently, too.

The trilogy is richly illustrated by the author with atmospheric black-and-white drawings.


Zaida and the Snow Angel

 

The first novel spans one winter of Zaida’s life. The evil twins Janika and Stiina harrass her at school and outside of it. Zaida finds an unexpected ally in Otto, a boy from the parallel class. However, what really transforms her life is Ainu, a mysterious girl whom Zaida meets in a night-time park. Zaida’s old wise dog Ludwig leads her behind its locked gates in the night of the Christmas Day as the first snow is falling. Hiding this from her parents, Zaida begins to visit the park, which transforms to a vast forest with frozen lakes, meadows and hills. A deep friendship and mutual understanding develops between the girls. But why can’t Ainu come home to Zaida? Has anyone else ever even seen her? Finally, Zaida discovers a family secret, which turns the night-time adventures into a ghost story. When the snow melts, Zaida makes a desperate attempt together with Otto to unravel Ainu’s mystery. The book is a moving story about friendship, love, and trust.

 

About the series

The three novels combine psychological and magical realism with ghost stories to tell the story of Zaida, a girl adopted from a faraway country. She worries about her different looks and elderly parents, and as the only child feels lonely and disconnected. But allies and enemies in school are not all: in each of the books, Zaida gets swept into an adventure that blurs the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Balancing on the precarious threshold between childhood and adolescence, Zaida thus hovers between the worlds of everyday and imagination.

The stories follow each other in chronological order, but each book can be read independently, too.

The trilogy is richly illustrated by the author with atmospheric black-and-white drawings.


The Beggar Princess

The 11-year-old rag collector Gigi was born a princess. After her father lost his crown in a violent uprising, the royal family of Umbrovia has been forced to live in hiding in a busy harbor town. But then one day Gigi and her best friend Henry learn that someone knows their secret, their home is attacked and her mother is taken away. Together with her loving but unpractical father, and the grumpy but kind werewolf Mussovits, they must do their best to save their family.

The Beggar Princess is the first installment in the trilogy Gigi & Henry, which follows the main characters lives from pre-teens to adulthood. The story is set in an alternative history of the 1860s and it mixes fast-paced, julesvernesque adventure story with inventive alternate history.


Cat Taxi

One day in August a boy is searching for adventures in the neighbor’s garden. The window is slightly ajar and the boy listens how Granny is talking to her cats. All of a sudden one of the cats junps onto the window sill. The Cat lifts his paw against the window and meows a little. In the same moment Granny yells: – What did you say, Domino? Who is there?


Rights sold:
POLAND, W.A.B.


Gattonautti and Other Everyday Tales

Everyday life is full of magic. All you have to do to see it is look closely enough.

Heather is caring for a grave, the final resting place for little Anna from long ago. Heather ponders what Anna’s life was like. Meanwhile, Raoul and Rod are trying to figure out where they can get the money they need for this one really important thing. Thom comes across a strange bottlecollector. And Jack meets a mysterious water-cat, who talks big about building a spaceboat. Who on earth danced on the kitchen table last night with muddy shoes? And what does it feel like to be a stone?

Sari Peltoniemi’s everyday tales are composed of the joys and sorrows of the young, their finest moments and their gray days, too. They are about you, me, and Tuva from next door. Liisa Kallio’s sensitive illustrations are a fine complement to the tales’ wonderful ambiance.