NEW CHILDREN’S DEALS

We are excited to share three new sales for our children’s books!
AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento, has sold to Eesti Raamat in Estonia.
The book is a mystic middle-grade novel where magic is mixed with everyday events. It is written by bestselling Monster Nanny author Tuutikki Tolonen and will be published both in Estonia and Finland in 2020.“Through this fascinating story you’ll learn how important is friendship and knowing who you really are.”
Aili Saks, publisher Eesti Raamat, Estonia

Request the English Sample here!

WEIRD WEATHER! WHY DOES CLIMATE CHANGE? by Laura Ertimo, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu, has also sold to Eesti Raamat in Estonia. Weird Weather! is accurate but hopeful children’s nonfiction that explains how humans are responsible for climate change and what we can do to ensure a brighter future.
It will be published in Estonia in 2020.“We all can do something to guarantee the bright future of our home planet. “Weird Weather” explains the important topic of climate change to children in the most suitable way.”
Aili Saks, publisher Eesti Raamat, Estonia

Request the English Sample here!

 

THE FOX WHO PAINTED THE SKY  has sold to KAVKA in the Czech Republic. It is a story about a little fox who wants to find the most beautiful color in the world and paint the sky with it and therefore explaining how the Northern Lights came to be!
It was written by Mila Teräs and illustrated by Karoliina Pertamo and will be published in the Czech Republic in 2020.“Among all the beautiful Finnish books for children, the book Kettu ja värit has caught our attention specifically. We mostly like that it deals with the northern lights, a phenomenon unknown to children in central Europe. The visual part of the book is very artsy, the idea of cut-outs, collage technique, and writing as a part of the pictures give way to imagination. The way the Finnish language in the image of the fox remains in the Czech edition is a special treat to fancy readers.”
Magdalena Wells, K-A-V-K-A  knižní a výtvarná kultura, Czech Republic

Request the English Sample here!

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig) Publication date: January 2020
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample

WEIRD WEATHER: WHY DOES CLIMATE CHANGE?

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Into Kustannus (orig) Publication date: October 2019
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English sample

THE FOX WHO PAINTED THE SKY

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Karisto (orig),
GERMANY: Knesebeck Verlag
CZECH REPUBLIC: K-A-V-K-A

Reading material:
Finnish edition
Full English text

About author


Karoliina Pertamo

Karoliina Pertamo is an artist who has illustrated more than 30 books. She works with a bright color palette and also uses collage in her charmingly naïvist work. She has been nominated for the Rudolf Koivu Prize and Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, and received The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland Award.

About author


Kati Vuorento

Kati Vuorento is an illustrator living and working in Espoo, Finland: ”In small details there is an infinite magic. I want my illustrations to stir emotion in the audience. Empathizing is important to me. In my illustrations, I always include approachable characteristics to even the most hardened anti-hero. This is how I mold the characters into personalities with depth and dimension.”

She is the illustrator of middle-grade Agnes Series by Tuutikki Tolonen that in 2021 was nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award!


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!

About author


Mari Ahokoivu

Mari Ahokoivu is a Finnish illustrator and a comics artist. She’s been drawing professionally for over 10 years, mainly drawing graphic novels and comics for children, including Sanni & Joonas and Lola Olifante. Ahokoivu loves everything cute and scary. She lives and works in Copenhagen. 

Mari Ahokoivu won the Puupäähattu Comic Book Award 2023, and together with Laura Ertimo, they won the Tieto-Lauri Award 2022 and were nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2021 for WHERE DID THE ANIMALS GO?!

About author


Mila Teräs

Mila Teräs has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her works for children's and YA literature, and her works have been nominated for e.g. the Finlandia and Topelius Prizes. She writes for children, young adults and adults, and often incorporates fantasy and historical elements into her realistic work.

About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award.  Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Her other bestselling series is the Agnes-series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award. Tolonen tells that the inspiration for Agnes comes for her interest for weird and inexpicable tales, ghost stories and mysteries: "I wanted to write a book my daughter Aili, then nine, would like to read - not too long, not too scary, but very curious."

New sales for Salla Simukka, Magdalena Hai and The Fox Who Painted the Sky

We have great news to share with you! We have recently closed three deals for children’s and YA books.

Salla Simukka’s new collection of YA short stories Turn Off the Lights! Turn on the Lights! was sold to Zvaigzne in Latvia. The stories’ genre ranges from horror to romance to sci-fi and realism, showing the lives of all kinds of teens and young adults. The flip-book lets the reader see the both sides of life: the good and happy, and the dark and scary.

“Salla Simukka’s created characters are fascinating, they don’t leave our mind after the last page are closed. But are there the last page at all? You can turn the book and start reading once more, from a different point of view. Unique concept and diverse stylistics.”
– Marite Gulbe, Zvaigzne


Magdalena Hai’s adorable ghost story The Little Shop of Nightmares for early readers was sold to KompasGuide/The Teenbook Publishing in Russia. This is a first part of series that will follow the adventures of a 9-year-old Ninni who works in a shop of nightmares.

“It’s difficult to find a good middle grade book. It should be exciting, encouraging and at the same time well-balanced between clarity of the books one has read before and complicity of the ones he or she is yet to read. The Little Shop of Nightmares by Magdalena Hai is definitely one of that kind: we were captured by its amusing combination of bizarre magic and clever humor with hidden messages for those who look deeper. Let alone the resemblance to Gravity Falls series! ”
– Igor Grizhuk, Foreign Rights Manager, KompasGuide Publishing House


The lovely and colorful picture book The Fox Who Painted the Sky by Mila Teräs and Karoliina Partamo was sold to Knesebeck Verlag in Germany.

“The wonderful illustrations of ‘The Fox who painted the sky’ instantly charmed us – and as soon we had read the surprising ending, our hearts were won over. We’re very happy to welcome this artistic fox into our Knesebeck-family!”
– Tatjana Kröll, Head of children’s books, Knesebeck Verlag

This picture book combines collage and painting with enchanting story and funny poems!

 


Request reading materials for Turn Off the Lights! Turn On the Lights!
Request reading materials for the Little Shop of Nightmares!
Request reading materials for The Fox Who Painted the Sky!

Rights sold:
Turn Off the Lights! Turn On the Lights!
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
LATVIA: Zvaigzne

Rights sold:
The Little Shop of Nightmares
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
RUSSIA: KompasGuide/The Teenbooks Publishing

Rights sold:
The Fox Who Painted the Sky
FINLAND: Karisto (orig.)
GERMANY:
Knesebeck Verlag

About author


Karoliina Pertamo

Karoliina Pertamo is an artist who has illustrated more than 30 books. She works with a bright color palette and also uses collage in her charmingly naïvist work. She has been nominated for the Rudolf Koivu Prize and Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, and received The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland Award.

About author


Magdalena Hai

Magdalena Hai is an award-winning author, lover of cross-genre fiction and all things strange. Her fiction often combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Her Little Shop of Nightmares series has been sold to 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated  the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

Besides being an author, Hai teaches writing and is an active member and editor in the publishing co-operative Osuuskumma.

About author


Mila Teräs

Mila Teräs has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her works for children's and YA literature, and her works have been nominated for e.g. the Finlandia and Topelius Prizes. She writes for children, young adults and adults, and often incorporates fantasy and historical elements into her realistic work.

About author


Salla Simukka

Salla Simukka is the author of the international success story The Snow White Trilogy: rights are sold in 53 territories and in Hollywood. She has written several novels for young readers and her accolades include the Topelius Prize 2013 and the Finland Prize 2013. Simukka has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award  every year 2021–2024. Where It All Begins, published in 2022, is her first novel for adults and in 2024 she started a collaboration with JP Ahonen on a middle grade novel.

Previously Simukka has written book reviews for the newspapers, translated all kinds of texts into Finnish, worked as an editor at a literary magazine and as a screenwriter for a popular TV show for young audiences.  She has also been working on the programme of Turku Book Fair in 2017–2020.