Where Did the Animals Go - Travelling Through Time With Lotta and Kasper

Laura Ertimo

Original title: Aika matka! Lotta, Kasper ja luontokadon arvoitus

Author: Laura Ertimo

Illustrator: Mari Ahokoivu

Published: 2021

Publisher: Into

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 48

Part of a series: Weird Weather

Reading material:

English synopsis, Full English translation, Finnish PDF

Standalone sequel to the bestselling WEIRD WEATHER that has sold to 17 countries -

A much-needed book that helps make sense of biodiversity crisis!

Lotta and Kasper keep seeing new worrisome news: dying bees, endangered animals, plastic in the Mariana Trench and on the glaciers of Antarctica, rivers polluted by mines, forest fires...

The children realize that even if the problems of climate change were solved, Mother Nature would still be in trouble! Climate change is only one part of an escalating environmental crisis. How will we survive?

Now retired fossil gremlin suggests that Lotta and Kasper set out on a grand journey through time in search of threads that may connect the past to the present and provide solutions for the future.

With the gremlin as their guide, the children find clues about the great changes that life has undergone in the past and how life has continued after major catastrophes. Through their journey, they come to see the roots of the current situation, understand why solving it is so tricky and learn how the human species has overcome previous crises to survive to this day.

PRAISE:

Laura Ertimo has undertaken a challenging yet important task ‒ to write for children about the biodiversity crisis and the problems arising from it. The topics themselves are complex, but the time travel layout and engaging comic strips assist in understanding, whereas the pictures encourage children to look into the issues at hand. It might happen that a child will not be able to understand everything at first, but there are numerous topics to be discussed and researched with one’s parents or teachers. The author is highly knowledgeable about and conscious of the topic of environmental problems.

- Anneli Veskimägi, Avita publishing house, Estonia

Laura Ertimo has undertaken a challenging yet important task - to write for children about the biodiversity crisis and the problems arising from it. The topics themselves are complex, but the time travel layout and engaging comic strips assist in understanding, whereas the pictures encourage children to look into the issues at hand.

- Anneli Veskimägi, Avita, Estonia

Download reading materials

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)
ESTONIA: Kirjastus Avita
GERMANY: Cross Cult
HUNGARY: Tessloff & Babilon

Video

About author

Laura Ertimo

Laura Ertimo is a geographer and author. She has previously worked in publishing of geography-related non-fiction and maps, and now she writes full time, specializing in children’s non-fiction. A recurring theme in her work is the holistic worldview, the interaction between phenomena, people and nature.

In 2020, she received the prestigious Tietopöllö Award for her work as a Non-Fiction writer. Her children's title WHERE DID THE ANIMALS GO, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu, was nominated for the 2021 Finlandia Award and has also won the Tieto-Lauri award!

The Tietopöllö award jury: Laura Ertimo knows how to sum up difficult things appropriately in the blink of an eye. Her works can provide information and joy to a wide range of readers, and they also attract people of all ages to delve deeper into the book and consider even difficult issues together. Laura Ertimo's books open paths to important and current topics.

The Tieto-Lauri award jury: Children today grow up among worldwide ecological crises. It presents a great challenge for nonfiction literature: how to tell children about the complex phenomena in an easily understandable way and give factually based hope that even the hardest crises can be solved. Ertimo and Ahokoivu have successfully taken on this challenge.

Bibliography


2022, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

What Is a Robot?


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Laura Ertimo

Mini Science 3: The Travelling Plants


2021, Picture Books (0-3 Years), Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

Mini Science 2: Invisible World


2021, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

Weird Weather! Activity Book for Climate Heroes


2020, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

Enchanted Planet Earth


2020, Picture Books (0-3 Years), Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

Mini Science 1: Where Are You


2019, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

Weird Weather


2017, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

What is Water


2016, Non-Fiction

Laura Ertimo

What is Night