Runeberg prize winners + other awards!

Posted on 05.02.202630.03.2026

Incredible news! STIVEN by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander has been awarded the Runeberg Junior Prize 2026!

The Runeberg Junior Prize, worth 15,000 EUR, is awarded annually by the city of Porvoo and the magazine Borgåbladet to an outstanding children’s book. Preschoolers and first- and second-grade students in Porvoo read the nominees and chose the winner. The winner was announced on February 5th, 2026, on Runeberg’s Day.

This is what the jury says about Stiven:

“A humorous and warm rhyming story about Stiven the cat, who rules the family with his constant need for food in his dish. The text and illustrations are playful, and it’s easy to relate to, especially for cat owners. A charming and witty book that leaves the reader with a smile.”

On top of this, MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE A WATER LILY by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Reetta Niemensivu, was given the honorable mention at the award ceremony.

“Well-written everyday realism, where even painful topics are conveyed in an understandable, gentle, sharp, and humorous way. The book portrays a child’s perspective on parental separation and rainbow families honestly and convincingly. It’s a warm-hearted story with real people and real life. The story draws the reader in.”

STIVEN has also been nominated for the Limmi Prize! In Liminka, an annual festival called LimmiFest is held to celebrate children’s and young people’s literature and culture. The Limmi Literary Prize is LimmiFest’s own award, and this year it will be given out for the second time. The prize is awarded to a new Finnish picture book for children that has been voted as a favorite by children from Liminka. The five nominated books are selected by a preliminary jury from the library. The winner will be announced in March.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR STIVEN HERE

Highly recommended for everyone, but especially families with young children, and particularly for those who share their lives with a cat – or perhaps, for those who are ruled by one.

The food is gone! Stiven roars. This is urgent! Come out!

Have you ever thought how frustrating life can be for a cat? When something as simple as getting fed turns into a daily battle? For Stiven, the logic is simple: an empty bowl must be filled immediately. How can an entire family have such a hard time understanding this?

The glutton Stiven is a stubborn drama queen, holding the whole family hostage with one mission: more food immediately! He’s a big personality, alternately majestic and pathetic, and neither mom, dad, the child, nor the baby escapes his constant demands for food and attention. This leads to comedic moments in the everyday life of a young family with a pet, brilliantly captured in Åsa Lucander’s lively illustrations.

Ted Forsström’s text is atmospheric and down-to-earth, with his characteristic playful rhymes occasionally shining through. It’s highly relatable for families with young children and especially for anyone who owns a cat—or is owned by one. The duo’s previous bedtime story, STELLA, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE WATER LILY HERE

From the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of Agnes and Monster Nanny comes a gently humorous children’s novel about Margo and her new family dynamics.

“Kids. Tomorrow we’re having a family meeting.”

Nine-year-old Marigold, nicknamed Marsu, has her ordinary life turned upside down when her parents call a family meeting. Soon, instead of one home, they have two. Dad suddenly has a strange new beard, Mom buys a car and is learning to park and secretly cries, and her little brother, of course, doesn’t understand a thing – he’s just thrilled to have two sets of toys in two homes. The true nature of things becomes clear to the children only gradually.

Marsu, on the other hand, sees everything with her new hawk-like vision. Marsu spots her dad marching alongside with a man, she doesn’t recognize. But even Marsu’s sharp gaze softens when she realizes that while her parents may be separating from each other, they’re not separating from their children.

STIVEN
Stivens fat är utan mat, Förlaget 2025, 44 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND, SWEDEN: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Teos (Finnish)
GERMANY: dtv Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co.KG
HUNGARY: Cerkabella Könyvek
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
USA: Spinning Wheel Stories

Reading Material:
Swedish edition, English PDF

MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE A WATER LILY
Marsu ja lumpeena kellumisen taito, WSOY 2025, 144 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Reading Material:
Finnish Edition, English chapter by chapter synopsis

About author

Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander is a director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia.

Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 where she was introduced to animation while studying illustration. After graduating she joined the animation studio 12foot6 where she stayed until 2014.

In 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based.

With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has a passion for hand rendered drawings and explores many different textures and mediums in all areas of her work. She loves mixing humour with melancholy and thrills in bringing characters of every shape and form to life with compelling scripts and inventive visions. She nimbly blends music, authentic dialogue, film segments, hand drawn characters and dolls in innovative ways.

Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property, as well as many heart-warming commercial films for clients including Blue Peter, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Project Every- one and Childline, and a VR documentary film for BBC. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

The Finlandia-nominated Stella (2023) was the first picture book by Åsa Lucander, who, in addition to being a director and illustrator at Aardman Animations, has also animated music videos for artists such as Coldplay. She created the book together with Ted Forsström. In spring 2025 her and Ted's second collaboration, Stiven, was published.

Photo credit: Karni Arieli

About author

Reetta Niemensivu

Reetta Niemensivu is an illustrator, comic artist and a graphic designer who lives and works in Lahti, Finland. Reetta hasillustrated a great number of children’s books for various publishers in Finland. She is also the author of four comic albums published by Suuri Kurpitsa and she has self-published several small press publications.

She was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize for the children’s book Penelope and the Perilous Porridge in 2022. She has won the Comic Finlandia Award in 2019 for the album Sisaret 1918.

Photo credit: Henry Söderlund

About author

Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström is a well-known Finnish-Swedish comedian, radio personality and author. Together with Kaj Korkea-aho, he co-wrote the YA trilogy ZOO!, which was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize. Forsström also co-hosts Ted & Kaj, the most popular Swedish-language podcast in Finland, with Korkea-aho.

In 2023, he co-wrote the Finlandia Junior-nominated children’s book Stella with illustrator Åsa Lucander. Their follow-up, Stiven, was awarded the Runeberg Junior Prize in 2026. Stella has been translated into 10 languages, while Stiven has been translated into five. The Blue Flame is a LitRPG fantasy adventure for young adults.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Two of our wonderful titles nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize!

Posted on 11.11.202505.02.2026

We have wonderful news! Two Ahlbäck Agency titles have been nominated for the Runeberg Junior Prize 2026! Nominated are MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE A WATER LILY by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Reetta Niemensivu, and STIVEN by Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander!

This is what the jury had to say about Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily:

“Well-written everyday realism, where even painful topics are conveyed in an understandable, gentle, sharp, and humorous way. The book portrays a child’s perspective on parental separation and rainbow families honestly and convincingly. It’s a warm-hearted story with real people and real life. The story draws the reader in.”

and this is what the jury says about Stiven:

“A humorous and warm rhyming story about Stiven the cat, who rules the family with his constant need for food in his dish. The text and illustrations are playful, and it’s easy to relate to, especially for cat owners. A charming and witty book that leaves the reader with a smile.”

The Runeberg Junior Prize, worth 10,000 EUR, is awarded annually by the city of Porvoo and the magazine Borgåbladet to an outstanding children’s book. Next, preschoolers and first- and second-grade students in Porvoo will read the books and choose the winner. The winner will be announced on February 5th, 2026, on Runeberg’s Day.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE WATER LILY HERE

From the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of Agnes and Monster Nanny comes a gently humorous children’s novel about Margo and her new family dynamics.

“Kids. Tomorrow we’re having a family meeting.”

Nine-year-old Marigold, nicknamed Marsu, has her ordinary life turned upside down when her parents call a family meeting. Soon, instead of one home, they have two. Dad suddenly has a strange new beard, Mom buys a car and is learning to park and secretly cries, and her little brother, of course, doesn’t understand a thing – he’s just thrilled to have two sets of toys in two homes. The true nature of things becomes clear to the children only gradually.

Marsu, on the other hand, sees everything with her new hawk-like vision. Marsu spots her dad marching alongside with a man, she doesn’t recognize. But even Marsu’s sharp gaze softens when she realizes that while her parents may be separating from each other, they’re not separating from their children.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR STIVEN HERE

Highly recommended for everyone, but especially families with young children, and particularly for those who share their lives with a cat – or perhaps, for those who are ruled by one.

The food is gone! Stiven roars. This is urgent! Come out!

Have you ever thought how frustrating life can be for a cat? When something as simple as getting fed turns into a daily battle? For Stiven, the logic is simple: an empty bowl must be filled immediately. How can an entire family have such a hard time understanding this?

The glutton Stiven is a stubborn drama queen, holding the whole family hostage with one mission: more food immediately! He’s a big personality, alternately majestic and pathetic, and neither mom, dad, the child, nor the baby escapes his constant demands for food and attention. This leads to comedic moments in the everyday life of a young family with a pet, brilliantly captured in Åsa Lucander’s lively illustrations.

Ted Forsström’s text is atmospheric and down-to-earth, with his characteristic playful rhymes occasionally shining through. It’s highly relatable for families with young children and especially for anyone who owns a cat—or is owned by one. The duo’s previous bedtime story, STELLA, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize.

MARSU AND THE ART OF FLOATING LIKE A WATER LILY
Marsu ja lumpeena kellumisen taito, WSOY 2025, 144 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Reading Material:
Finnish Edition, English chapter by chapter synopsis

STIVEN
Stivens fat är utan mat, Förlaget 2025, 44 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND, SWEDEN: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Teos (Finnish)
GERMANY: dtv Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co.KG
HUNGARY: Cerkabella Könyvek
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
USA: Spinning Wheel Stories

Reading Material:
Swedish edition, English PDF

About author

Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander is a director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia.

Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 where she was introduced to animation while studying illustration. After graduating she joined the animation studio 12foot6 where she stayed until 2014.

In 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based.

With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has a passion for hand rendered drawings and explores many different textures and mediums in all areas of her work. She loves mixing humour with melancholy and thrills in bringing characters of every shape and form to life with compelling scripts and inventive visions. She nimbly blends music, authentic dialogue, film segments, hand drawn characters and dolls in innovative ways.

Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property, as well as many heart-warming commercial films for clients including Blue Peter, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Project Every- one and Childline, and a VR documentary film for BBC. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

The Finlandia-nominated Stella (2023) was the first picture book by Åsa Lucander, who, in addition to being a director and illustrator at Aardman Animations, has also animated music videos for artists such as Coldplay. She created the book together with Ted Forsström. In spring 2025 her and Ted's second collaboration, Stiven, was published.

Photo credit: Karni Arieli

About author

Reetta Niemensivu

Reetta Niemensivu is an illustrator, comic artist and a graphic designer who lives and works in Lahti, Finland. Reetta hasillustrated a great number of children’s books for various publishers in Finland. She is also the author of four comic albums published by Suuri Kurpitsa and she has self-published several small press publications.

She was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize for the children’s book Penelope and the Perilous Porridge in 2022. She has won the Comic Finlandia Award in 2019 for the album Sisaret 1918.

Photo credit: Henry Söderlund

About author

Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström is a well-known Finnish-Swedish comedian, radio personality and author. Together with Kaj Korkea-aho, he co-wrote the YA trilogy ZOO!, which was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize. Forsström also co-hosts Ted & Kaj, the most popular Swedish-language podcast in Finland, with Korkea-aho.

In 2023, he co-wrote the Finlandia Junior-nominated children’s book Stella with illustrator Åsa Lucander. Their follow-up, Stiven, was awarded the Runeberg Junior Prize in 2026. Stella has been translated into 10 languages, while Stiven has been translated into five. The Blue Flame is a LitRPG fantasy adventure for young adults.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

Posted on 22.10.202509.12.2025

We are delighted to announce, that four of Ahlback Agency’s authors and illustrators have been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026, the world’s largest children’s and young people’s book award! 263 candidates, illustrators and authors, storytellers and reading promoters, from 74 different countries are nominated for the award. The laureate will be announced on April 14th 2026.

The award was created in 2002, and the prize is worth SEK 5 million. It is awarded annually to a person or organization for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. The award criteria are, among other things, the high quality of the works and the production, which has been carried out in the spirit of Astrid Lindgren.

From Ahlbäck Agency, the nominees are:

TUUTIKKI TOLONEN, writer of the Monster Nanny and Agnes series plus the Secret Ones picture book and Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily!

SIRI KOLU, writer of the Twin World series!

PASI PITKÄNEN, illustrator of the Monster Nanny and Benjamin Bateman series!

SANNA PELLICCIONI, illustrator of the Mini Sciense series!

Congratulations to all of the wonderful nominees!

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

About author

Sanna Pelliccioni

Sanna Pelliccioni is a Finnish illustrator, graphic designer and children’s author living in Helsinki with her Finnish-Italian family. An awarded illustrator, Pelliccioni has been e.g. honoured with being the only Finn named on the IBBY honour list 2022. Pelliccioni utilizes many different techniques in her illustrations, some of her favourites are collage and mixed techniques. She studied Arts and Illustration in Bologna and Macerata, Italy, and Graphic Design at the Pekka Halonen Institute in Finland.

She loves illustrating picture books and poems and making graphic design for book covers and her own books. She also writes for children and young people and concerning the themes of books she’s especially interested in equality, indigenous people, myths and taboos, forest and nature. Pelliccioni is mostly known for her Onni-poika picture book series which started in 2007 and contains 15 books so far.

Pelliccioni collaborates with authors writing for children and young people and works with many Finnish editors. Some of her books have been translated to Chinese, Korean, Arabic, English and Swedish, Turkish and Estonian.

About author

Siri Kolu

Siri Kolu (born July 18, 1972) is a writer, performance dramaturg, director, and theater teacher. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Theatre Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree as Drama Instructor (BA). Prior to her theater studies, she pursued literature and theater studies at the University of Helsinki.

With her funny and original adventure Me and the Robberssons Kolu won the children’s novel and film script competition in the fall of 2009. The book was published in April 2010, and won the Finlandia Prize in Children’s & YA literature. The film adaptation hit theaters in the fall of 2014. Me and the Robberssons has been translated into over 20 languages.

Me and the Robbersons has also won the Silver Slate Pencil Award in the Netherlands and has been listed twice for the The English Pen Award. She has also been honored with the Laivakello Prize by the Finnish Institute for Children’s Literature, Topelius Prize and Kaarina Helakisa Literary Prize.

Photo credit: Sabina Bqain

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

The Secret Ones is a White Ravens 2025!

Posted on 22.10.202505.12.2025

The annually published White Ravens list has now been published with THE SECRET ONES written by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Anne Vasko featured in the 2025 catalogue!

This year’s catalogue features over 200 children’s and youg adult books from approximately 50 countries and 40 different languages. The books have been selected by the International Youth Library’s children’s literature experts. The books are selected from the donations the library receives within a year, and the experts choose titles that are suitable for an international audience from the books’ quality and themes.

This is what the catalogue highlights from the book:

This book’s title »Salaiset« (Secrets) instantly arouses
one’s curiosity. What kind of secrets might be hid
den here? Could they have something to do with
the little creature peeking out from behind the letter
»I«? Yes, indeed! »On olentoja, jotka saattavat asua
ihan vieressäsi, mutta et tiedä niistä mitään.« (There
are creatures that may live right next to you, but you
know nothing about them.) Yes, of course! Some
how, we have always suspected that more is going on
around us than meets the eye. And »Salaiset« sheds
light on exactly that: it tells of tiny fleas that love
to nibble on socks or stash away remote controls.
These shy little creatures may be good at hiding –
but they don’t always manage to cover their tracks
completely. Tuutikki Tolonen and Anne Vasko have
created an imaginative picture book that encourages
readers to take a closer look at everyday mysteries –
and to invent their own explanations or stories. That
the book also quietly advocates for peaceful coexist
ence goes without saying.

The list was released a few days before the Frankfurt Book Fair, where it was presented to an international audience. At the Bologna Children’s Book Fair at the International Youth Library’s stand all the current White Ravens books will be on display.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS FOR THE SECRET ONES HERE

Unleash your creativity and discover the creatures who live right next to you in secret! This delightful picture book invites young readers to look at ordinary homes with new eyes.

This charming picture book invites its readers to play a game: could there be secret creatures, living side by side with humans in ordinary homes? They leave signs for those who know where and how to look.

Why are there crumbs on the kitchen floor? Perhaps you have a crumbscraper living with you! The creature itself is so shy you’ll barely ever see it. And about the holes in your socks – probably a lintbug’s fault. Or when the remote control is lost again, maybe the amnesianos have stolen it.

THE SECRET ONES
Salaiset, WSOY 2024, 40 pp.

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECHIA: Portal
POLAND: Widnokrag

READING MATERIALS:
English PDF, Finnish edition

About author

Anne Vasko

Anne Vasko is an internationally known Finnish children's author and illustrator who has created visual worlds for numerous children's books, both her own and written by others. She is the recipient of the Rudolf Koivu illustration award 2011 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Junior, and also for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2017 and 2021. Vasko graduated with a master's degree in art from the Aalto Arts Helsinki.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Chinese rights renewed for MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen!

Posted on 08.05.202502.07.2025

We’re happy to let you know that Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House has renewed the Chinese rights for the MONSTER NANNY trilogy, the award-winning and internationally bestselling middle-grade title written by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen! The deal was closed by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in collaboration with Clare Chi at Grayhawk Agency.

In MONSTER NANNY, the three children of the Hellman family – Halley, Koby, and Mimi – are left at home to be taken care of by a nanny, but their nanny turns out to be, well, a monster named Grah who doesn’t talk and is mesmerized by the family’s TV. As other children in their neighborhood have been left in the care of similar monsters, the Hellman children try to find out more about the monsters and why they have appeared in human homes in the first place.

MONSTER NANNY trilogy has been an international success story: the rights to the trilogy have been sold to 37 countries and a feature film based on the series is in development by Scott Free Productions!

Download materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Mary Poppins meets Where the Wild Things Are in this prize-winning series.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

MONSTER ROUTE
MÖRKÖREITTI
Tammi, 2016, 300 pp.

MONSTER MESSAGE
MÖRKÖVIESTI
Tammi, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition (Book #1)
English sample and synopsis (Books #2 and #3)
German editions (Books #2 and #3)
French editions (Books #2 and #3)
Finnish editions (all books)

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
ALBANIA: Westprint
BOSNIA: Šahinpašić
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Portál
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag
GREECE: Patakis
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani/Mauri Spagnol
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS: (print) Luitingh-Sijthoff
NETHERLANDS: (audio) Saga Egmont
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA: Allen & Unwin
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Univers
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish): La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan): La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM: Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS: Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

THE SECRET ONES sold to Poland

Posted on 05.02.202521.03.2025

We are happy to report that the Polish rights for the stunning picture book THE SECRET ONES by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Anne Vasko have been acquired by publishing house Widnokrag in a deal closed by Martti Berner.

Established in 2011, Widnokrag is a Polish children’s and YA publisher and their international authors include Andrew Norriss, Katherine Marsh, Anton Bergman, Emma Adbåge, Mette Vedsø, Evelyne Brisou-Pellen, Maiwenn Alix, Magdalena Hai, Teemu Juhani, Timo Parvela, Bjørn Sortland, Pasi Pitkänen, and Anne Vasko.

THE SECRET ONES is a picture book encouraging children’s creativity and inviting them to see their home with new eyes. And we have a full English pdf for you to read!

Request the English materials for THE SECRET ONES here!

SALAISET
WSOY, March 2024, 40 pp

Reading material:
Full English translation, Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECHIA: Portál
POLAND: Widnokrag

About author

Anne Vasko

Anne Vasko is an internationally known Finnish children's author and illustrator who has created visual worlds for numerous children's books, both her own and written by others. She is the recipient of the Rudolf Koivu illustration award 2011 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Junior, and also for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2017 and 2021. Vasko graduated with a master's degree in art from the Aalto Arts Helsinki.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Slovakian rights to MONSTER ROUTE acquired by Arkus!

Posted on 02.09.202416.10.2024

A new Slovakian rights deal is in for one of our biggest kid’s series! Slovakian publisher Arkus just acquired rights for MONSTER ROUTE (book 2 of the Monster Nanny trilogy) by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen, in a deal closed by Martti Berner at the Ahlback Agency.

The Monster Nanny trilogy is an international bestseller with a Hollywood movie in development co-produced by Ridley Scott! It’s the whimsical, exciting combination of Mary Poppins meets Where the Wild Things Are.

For any who are late to the monster party, here’s a bit about book 1 MONSTER NANNY:

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

You can click here to access all reading material for the MONSTER NANNY trilogy!

Rights are still available in the UK, Israel, Iceland, Thailand…

Publication Info:
Mörköreitti, Tammi, 300p

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
JAPAN: SEKAIBUNKA Publishing
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

THE SECRET ONES sold to Czechia!

Posted on 10.05.202419.07.2024

We are happy to report that the Czech rights for the stunning picture book THE SECRET ONES by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Anne Vasko have been acquired by publishing house Portál in a deal closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Agency.

Portál was founded in 1990 and belongs among the 20 largest publishing houses in the Czech Republic. Portál publish books by Anja Portin, Suzanne Lang, Hervé Tullet and many more and they are the Czech publisher of Tuutikki Tolonen’s Monster Nanny and Agnes series.

THE SECRET ONES is a picture book encouraging children’s creativity and inviting them to see their home with new eyes. Rights are still available for Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, etc.

And we have a full English pdf for you to read!

Download the English materials for THE SECRET ONES here!

SALAISET
WSOY, March 2024, 40 pp

Reading material:
Full English translation
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
Czechia: Portál

About author

Anne Vasko

Anne Vasko is an internationally known Finnish children's author and illustrator who has created visual worlds for numerous children's books, both her own and written by others. She is the recipient of the Rudolf Koivu illustration award 2011 and has been nominated for the Finlandia Junior, and also for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2017 and 2021. Vasko graduated with a master's degree in art from the Aalto Arts Helsinki.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

Posted on 02.05.202320.06.2023

We are thrilled to announce the 37th territory for the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen: the Japanese rights were sold in an auction to Sekaibunka! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in association with Japan Uni Agency.

With Japan, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 37 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development!

The rights for the series are still available in Taiwan, Iceland, Thailand, Israel, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Mimi, 6 years old, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gatekeeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

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?

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
German edition
French edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

MONSTER ROUTE
MÖRKÖREITTI
Tammi, 2016, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample & synopsis
German edition
French edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

MONSTER MESSAGE
MÖRKÖVIESTI
Tammi, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample & synopsis
German edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS picked as book prize for German reading competition

Posted on 28.04.202319.06.2023

We are happy to announce that AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento has been picked as the book prize for a prestigious German reading competition organised by the German bookseller association and under the patronage of the German Federal President. As part of this national reading competition, children from schools all over Germany will compete against each and the finale will even be on TV! Each of the participants in the regional round will be given a copy of a special edition with new cover of AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS.

Huge congratulations to Tuutikki, Kati, and their German publisher Carlsen!

Download the materials for AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS here!

AGNES JA UNIEN AVAIN / AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS
WSOY, March 2020, 200 pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

Posted on 01.03.202327.04.2023

We are thrilled to let you know that the Bulgarian rights for the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen have been acquired by Robertino in a three-way auction! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Robertino is a Bulgarian publishing house focusing on children’s literature. They published their first book in late 2019 and by now they have more than one hundred titles in their portfolio. Robertino is well known for developing more than ten children’s series, such as “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey, “Sherlock Holmes”, “Gerda” by the famous illustrator Adrian Macho, and many more.

With Bulgaria, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 36 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development!

The rights for the series are still available in Japan, Iceland, Thailand, Israel, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Mimi, 6 years old, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gatekeeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

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?

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
French edition
German edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS / Ridley Scott

MONSTER ROUTE
MÖRKÖREITTI
Tammi, 2016, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
French edition
German edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

MONSTER MESSAGE
MÖRKÖVIESTI
Tammi, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
German edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

Posted on 14.02.202321.04.2023

We are thrilled to let you know that the Slovak rights for MONSTER NANNY, book #1 in the internationally bestselling middle-grade trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen, have been acquired by Arkus! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Arkus, founded in 1992, publishes both Slovak and international authors and two magazines for children. They focus on titles for children and young adults, but also publish crime and thrillers, non-fiction and leisure books.

With Slovakia, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 35 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development!

The rights for the series are still available in Bulgaria, Japan, Iceland, Thailand, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Mörkövahti
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS / Ridley Scott
Reading materials:
English edition

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography

2026, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Children of Spooky Theater and the Talking Cabinet

Tuutikki Tolonen

2025, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily

Tuutikki Tolonen

2024, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

The Secret Ones

Tuutikki Tolonen

2022, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Tuutikki Tolonen

2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Tuutikki Tolonen

2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen

2015, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen

Related news

05.02.2026

Runeberg prize winners + other awards!

11.11.2025

Two of our wonderful titles nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize!

22.10.2025

Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

22.10.2025

The Secret Ones is a White Ravens 2025!

08.05.2025

Chinese rights renewed for MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen!

05.02.2025

THE SECRET ONES sold to Poland

02.09.2024

Slovakian rights to MONSTER ROUTE acquired by Arkus!

10.05.2024

THE SECRET ONES sold to Czechia!

02.05.2023

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

28.04.2023

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS picked as book prize for German reading competition

01.03.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

14.02.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

12.01.2023

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

11.07.2022

Croatian rights pre-empted for MONSTER NANNY – 34 territories sold!

07.07.2022

Greek Rights for Monster Nanny sold!

26.04.2022

Three new Children’s deals!

20.04.2022

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS acquired in Hungary!

01.04.2022

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW now sold to Estonia pre-publication!

02.02.2022

Dutch audio rights for MONSTER NANNY trilogy sold!

01.02.2022

Czech rights sold for AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR!

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

Posted on 12.01.202322.02.2023

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by internationally bestselling children’s author Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrator Kati Vuorento have been acquired by Eesti Raamat! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW is the 3rd part in the AGNES series. In this book, Agnes and her mother have offered rooms in their manor house to be used for children’s summer classes. However, new mysteries continue to pop up in the manor and Agnes decides to investigate, uncovering even more previously unknown stories about the past of her family.

Written by award-winning and internationally bestselling children’s author Tuutikki Tolonen and beautifully illustrated by Kati Vuorento, the AGNES series has so far been sold to 8 territories!

Rights are still available in Sweden, Norway, Poland, UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France, Turkey, Lithuania, Slovakia, etc.

Download the materials for the AGNES series here!

Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is February 1^st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window (#3)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Third title in the Arvid Lydecken and Runeberg 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 Garden of Dreams (#1)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Moving to a new city is frightening enough for 11-year-old Agnes. But when she makes an exciting discovery at the local cemetery, the summer isn’t the same anymore!

Everything began on that one summer day when Agnes walked through the cemetery gate. She had just moved to a boring new town and left behind her old home and friends. But then something strange happened and her life became more exciting than ever!

She finds a tombstone that has the name Agnes on it – and the same birthday as hers! From that day on, Agnes keeps having dreams of a girl who hides a key in a beautiful garden. When Agnes stumbles upon the same garden, she knows she must find the key. But what will it open?

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor (#2)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

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?

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW (#3)
AGNES JA VARJO IKKUNASSA
WSOY, 2022, 168 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS (#1)
AGNES JA UNIEN AVAIN
WSOY, 2020, 200 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s.r.o.
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Rosman

AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR (#2)
AGNES JA HUVILAN SALAISUUS
WSOY, 2021, 180 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s.r.o.
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Croatian rights pre-empted for MONSTER NANNY – 34 territories sold!

Posted on 11.07.202218.07.2022

We are thrilled to announce that the Croatian rights for the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy have been pre-empted by Znanje! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

An adorable and fun adventure story with quirky humor and an intriguing mystery to be solved. Monster Nanny is incredibly imaginative, compelling, and highly readable middle grade book.
– Dijana Orsolic Hrstic, Editor in Chief, Znanje, Croatia

Znanje acquired the rights to MONSTER NANNY, book #1 in the series. With Croatia, the MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen has now been sold to 34 territories!
The rights are still available in Iceland, Japan, Arabic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, etc.

Download the materials for the entire MONSTER NANNY series here!

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY
written by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 300 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Westprint
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE FILMS
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto/ Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Greek Rights for Monster Nanny sold!

Posted on 07.07.202213.07.2022

We’re thrilled to announce the worldwide bestseller trilogy MONSTER NANNY is travelling to Greece! Patakis Publishers pre-empted the rights to first two books in the series, making Greece the 33rd territory for the trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen! Patakis said:

“We’re thrilled to be bringing Monster Nanny to Greek readers, who will adore this wonderful, adventurous tale about three loveable siblings and the monster in the hall closet that changes their lives. For us, reading the books felt like a breath of fresh air; what best to propose to our children!”

The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The rights are still available in Iceland, Japan, Arabic, Croatia etc.

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:
Written by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

PRAISE for MONSTER NANNY:

”The upbeat tone, oddball details, and Pitkänen’s humorous b&w cartoons combine to create a strange but entertaining romp that will surprise readers at every turn.” – Publishers Weekly, USA

“Reality blends with dreams in the stories of Tuutikki Tolonen, just as children like. We are extremely happy that her books are published in our publishing house and that we can introduce them to Czech readers.”
– Hana Zobačová, Portál, Czech Republic

“This riddle-filled story is original, touching, incredible.” – Livresse des Livres blog, France

MONSTER NANNY
Tammi, 300 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Westprint
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CATALAN: La Galera
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE FILMS
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto/ Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

MONSTER ROUTE
Tammi, 280 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Three new Children’s deals!

Posted on 26.04.202203.05.2022

We are thrilled to announce three new Children’s deals!

Firstly, Cambourakis has acquired the French rights to LITTLE MOUSE AND THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT, the 8th and latest title in the LITTLE MOUSE series by Riikka Jäntti! The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The Éditions Cambourakis are delighted to continue publishing Riikka Jäntti’s series Little Mouse. As we follow in his footsteps, we discover everyday’s marvels and surprises; a character our little French readers don’t seem to be tired of!
– Charlotte Groult, Assistante éditoriale, Éditions Cambourakis, France

Secondly, the Bulgarian rights for I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER, a children’s non-fiction title by Tero Mielonen and Mari Ahokoivu, have been acquired by Enthusiast, an imprint of Alto! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Thirdly, the Albanian rights to the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen have been acquired by Westprint! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The wonderful LITTLE MOUSE series has been sold to 19 territories, but the rights are still available in Hungary, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Norway, Czech Republic, Lithuania, etc.

Download the full English PDFs for the entire series here!

The inspiring and educational I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER has been sold to Bulgaria and Latvia. All other rights are available!

Download the full English PDF here!

The humorous MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 32 territories, but the rights are still available in Japan, Croatia, World Arabic, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Iceland etc.

Download the full English PDFs for the entire series here!

FILI GRANTS REMINDER

We are thrilled to remind you that the latest application period for Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI) translation and printing grants is still open and will last until May 1st!

It’s a perfect time to acquire exciting Finnish titles and apply for translation grants!
Don’t have a Finnish translator yet? Find them here!

In the last application period in Winter 2022, 63 projects earned a grant with 113,000€ awarded in total. See the previously awarded projects here!

Translation grants
Up to 70% of translation costs from Finnish or Finland-Swedish can be covered by a FILI translation grant. There are 3 application periods in a year, and the Spring application period is 1.4.–1.5.2022.

LITTLE MOUSE SERIES
PIKKU HIIRI
Tammi, 2015-2022, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Full English PDFs

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)
ALBANIA: Dritan
AUSTRALIA: Scribble/Scribe
CHINA: Beijing Yuntu Tech
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Cambourakis
GERMANY: Cross Cult
ITALY: Sinnos
NEPAL: Kathalaya
NEW ZEALAND: Scribble/Scribe
POLAND: Filia
PORTUGAL: Harper Collins Iberica
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Strecoza
SLOVAKIA: Fortuna
SPAIN (Spanish): Harper Collins Iberica
SPAIN (Catalan): Harper Collins Iberica
UK: Scribble/Scribe

I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER
MAAILMAN TUTKIJAT
Ursa, 2021, 53 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
Full English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
BULGARIA: Enthusiast
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015-2020.

READING MATERIALS:
Full English PDF for #1, English samples and synopses for #2 and #3

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND, Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
KOREA: Seosawon
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS: (print) Luitingh-Sijthoff
NETHERLANDS: (audio) Saga Egmont
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA: Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

About author

Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in over 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

About author

Tero Mielonen

Tero Mielonen (PhD) is an atmospheric scientist and a comic book enthusiast. He studies the role of atmospheric aerosols in climate change at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. He also enjoys public outreach in its various forms.

Mielonen has written a children’s book, I'll Become a Researcher (illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu) which gives introductions to several scientific fields and shows how you can still do the things you enjoyed as a child when you become a scientist. A graphic novel written by Mielonen, The Ozone Diary, was shortlisted for Comic/Graphic Novel at the British Fantasy Awards 2020. Mielonen lives in Kuopio and is partial to cycling everywhere.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS acquired in Hungary!

Posted on 20.04.202222.04.2022

We are very happy to announce that Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS, illustrated by Kati Vuorento, has been acquired by Cerkabella in Hungary.
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency

Agnes is a courageous, lovely character, a real model for our young readers, especially in such demanding, almost frightening times.
-Agnes Nyulas, editor, Cerkabella, Hungary

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!

The series will already be published in 8 countries, but rights are still available in Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, the US, UK, Turkey, Poland etc.

Download the English materials for the Agnes-series here.

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS
by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento
Middle Grade (8-12 Years)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? And after the visit to the cemetery she starts to have very mysterious dreams. It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to her… Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW now sold to Estonia pre-publication!

Posted on 01.04.202206.04.2022

We are really happy to announce that the final title in Agnes series – AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW has now been acquired by Eesti Raamat in Estonia!
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency

ESTONIAN PRAISE:
The books of the „Agnes“ series masterfully interweave the past and the present, fascinating us with the mysterious atmosphere and beautiful illustrations. Despite of the serious topics covered, the books leave a bright impression and are very enjoyable to read.
– Reet Trummal, Head of Children’s and YA literature, Eesti Raamat, Estonia

The series has 7 international publishers, but the rights are still available in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Lithuania etc.

Download the English samples and synopses for the trilogy here.

NEW: #3 Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

The acclaimed series continues!
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 the summer arts 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?

#1 Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Moving to a new city is frightening enough for 11-year-old Agnes. But when she makes an exciting discovery at the local cemetery, the summer isn’t the same anymore!
Everything began on that one summer day when Agnes walked through the cemetery gate. She had just moved to a boring new town and left behind her old home and friends. But then something weird happened and her life became more exciting than ever!
She finds a tombstone that has the name Agnes on it – and the same birthday as hers! From that day on, Agnes keeps having dreams of a girl who hides a key in a beautiful garden. When Agnes stumbles upon the same garden, she knows she must find the key. But what will it open?

#2 Agnes and the Mysterious Mansion

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:

Agnes is a very charming story about friendship and family, it is gripping and heartwarming at the same time. Tuutikki Tolonen takes us to a place full of mysteries and dreams and she creates an atmosphere where the reader immediately feels comfortable. We are very happy to welcome Agnes to our list!
– Wiebke Andersen, Editor, Carlsen Verlag, Germany

AGNES TRILOGY
by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

WSOY 2020-2022.

Rights sold for the series:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Dutch audio rights for MONSTER NANNY trilogy sold!

Posted on 02.02.202208.02.2022

We are thrilled to announce that the Dutch audio rights to the MONSTER NANNY trilogy have been sold!

Danish digital publisher SAGA Egmont has acquired the Dutch audio rights to all three titles of the MONSTER NANNY trilogy – MONSTER NANNY, MONSTER ROUTE and MONSTER MESSAGE. The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The wonderful series by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen has 31 publishers around the world and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.

Rights are still available in Japan, Greece, Slovakia, Iceland, Croatia, Bulgaria etc.

Download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy here!

PRAISE for MONSTER NANNY:

”The upbeat tone, oddball details, and Pitkänen’s humorous b&w cartoons combine to create a strange but entertaining romp that will surprise readers at every turn.” – Publishers Weekly, USA

”The unflappable Halley, the resourceful Koby, and the self-possessed Mimi, inspired by her talking blue bathrobe, have the right stuff to be perfect fictional friends for a home-alone school holiday. The Hellman children’s monster, Grah, is far from a Mary Poppins, but in that honored tradition of children who find fantastic adventures just beyond the purview of parents, this one is right on target to enchant middle readers who dream of summer fun during these long winter nights.” – Books For Kids Blog, USA

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY
written by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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 for the MONSTER NANNY seires:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA: Šahinpašić
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CHINA: Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani/Mauri Spagnol
KOREA: Seosawon
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA: Allen & Unwin
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVENIA: Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish): La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan): La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM: Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS: Scott Free Productions

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography

2026, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Children of Spooky Theater and the Talking Cabinet

Tuutikki Tolonen

2025, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily

Tuutikki Tolonen

2024, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

The Secret Ones

Tuutikki Tolonen

2022, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Tuutikki Tolonen

2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Tuutikki Tolonen

2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen

2015, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen

Related news

05.02.2026

Runeberg prize winners + other awards!

11.11.2025

Two of our wonderful titles nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize!

22.10.2025

Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

22.10.2025

The Secret Ones is a White Ravens 2025!

08.05.2025

Chinese rights renewed for MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen!

05.02.2025

THE SECRET ONES sold to Poland

02.09.2024

Slovakian rights to MONSTER ROUTE acquired by Arkus!

10.05.2024

THE SECRET ONES sold to Czechia!

02.05.2023

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

28.04.2023

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS picked as book prize for German reading competition

01.03.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

14.02.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

12.01.2023

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

11.07.2022

Croatian rights pre-empted for MONSTER NANNY – 34 territories sold!

07.07.2022

Greek Rights for Monster Nanny sold!

26.04.2022

Three new Children’s deals!

20.04.2022

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS acquired in Hungary!

01.04.2022

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW now sold to Estonia pre-publication!

02.02.2022

Dutch audio rights for MONSTER NANNY trilogy sold!

01.02.2022

Czech rights sold for AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR!

Posted on 01.02.202204.02.2022

We are very happy to announce the third international rights sale for Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR! Rights have been acquired by Portál in the Czech Republic!
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency

CZECH 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.
– Hana Zobacova, editor, Portál, Czech Republic

AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR is the second title in the Middle Grade (8-12 years) series, Agnes. The first title AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS will be published in 6 countries.

The series is illustrated by talented Kati Vuorento.

Download the materials for both titles here.

	AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years)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’s no 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?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), CZECH REPUBLIC:Portál, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45 Download materials here
	AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years)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? And after the visit to the cemetery she starts to have very mysterious dreams. It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to her… Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o., DENMARK: ABC Forlag, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag, RUSSIA: Rosman Download materials here

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

AGNES series now acquired in Romania!

Posted on 07.12.202110.12.2021

Tuutikki Tolonen’s middle-grade AGNES series has now been acquired in Romania!

We are very happy to announce that Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS, and AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR, both illustrated by Kati Vuorento, have been acquired by Editura Paralela 45 in Romania.

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!

The series will already be published in 7 countries, but rights are still available in Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Hungary, the US, UK, Turkey, Poland etc.

Download the English materials for the Agnes series here.

	AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years) 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? And after the visit to the cemetery she starts to have very mysterious dreams. It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to her… Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o., DENMARK: ABC Forlag, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag, ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45, RUSSIA: Rosman Download materials here
	AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years) 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’s no 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?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45 Download materials here

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, Finland’s only literary journal for children.

Tolonen is currently writing Agnes series, of which the first book “Agnes and the Garden of Dreams” has been nominated for Runeberg Junior Award 2020.
Kati Vuorento is an illustrator living and working in Helsinki, Finland. ”In small details there is an infinite magic. I want my illustrations to stir emotion in the audience. Emphatizing 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.”

Her known illustrations are for example middle-grade novel Agnes and the Garden of Dreams by Tuutikki Tolonen.

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

MONSTER NANNY trilogy to be published in Russia as a bind-up edition!

Posted on 24.06.202108.07.2021

We are really excited to let you know that Rosman from Russia has acquired bind-up edition rights for the Tuutikki Tolonen’s Monster Nanny series. All of the three Monster Nanny titles will now also be available in Russia in a single book!

The series has now 31 publishers around the world and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.
The rights are still available in the UK, Japan, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Slovakia, Iceland, Croatia, Israel etc.

If you are interested, download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.

PRAISE for MONSTER NANNY:
I was fascinated by the characters who were taking matters into their own hands and getting over their difficulties. The setting of Nanny Monster is enough to interest children, and the unique setting inspires courage and wisdom in children. I am sure it is a must-read book for parents who make their children enterprising as well as for their children. – Jang, Sunhee, President of Seosawon, South Korea.

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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 for the MONSTER NANNY seires:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
KOREA: Seosawon
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS has won the coveted Lukuvarkaus prize!

Posted on 17.06.202124.06.2021

We are very happy to announce that Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS, illustrated by Kati Vuorento, has won the Lukuvarkaus prize: a unique award to the best children’s book of the previous year, chosen by a jury of children in ages 9-12. A shortlist for the award is picked by an adult pre-jury.

Previous winners have also included Sisterland by Salla Simukka (rights sold in 10 territories) and one of the titles shortlisted this year was Mabel Merryweather and Miniature Pirates by Noora Kunnas (rights sold in 6 territories).

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS is the first title in the Agnes series. It is written by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Kati Vuorento.

The series will be published in 6 countries, but rights are still available in Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, the US, UK, Turkey, Poland etc.

Download the English materials for the Agnes series here.

Happy author Tuutikki Tolonen with the jury members (Photo by Aili Arias)

	AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years)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? And after the visit to the cemetery she starts to have very mysterious dreams. It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to her… Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o., DENMARK: ABC Forlag, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag, RUSSIA: Rosman Download materials here
	AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR by Tuutikki Tolonen Middle Grade (8-12 Years)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’s no 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?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat Download materials here

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, Finland’s only literary journal for children.

Tolonen is currently writing Agnes series, of which the first book “Agnes and the Garden of Dreams” has been nominated for Runeberg Junior Award 2020.
Kati Vuorento is an illustrator living and working in Helsinki, Finland. ”In small details there is an infinite magic. I want my illustrations to stir emotion in the audience. Emphatizing 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.”

Her known illustrations are for example middle-grade novel Agnes and the Garden of Dreams by Tuutikki Tolonen.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Serbian rights sold for MONSTER NANNY! Now it has 31 publishers around the world!

Posted on 11.06.202116.06.2021

Serbian rights sold for MONSTER NANNY!
Now it has 31 publishers around the world!

We are really happy to let you know that Serbian publisher Laguna has acquired the first title of Middle-Grade MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen.

The series has now 31 publishers around the world and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.
The rights are still available in the UK, Japan, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Iceland, Croatia, Israel etc.

If you are interested, download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

The three books are all wonderfully illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.

SERBIAN PRAISE for MONSTER NANNY:

„Monster Nanny“ is a sweet & surprising book that shows us that children are the best guardians of curiosity, a skill that adults forget about while making money all the time. This novel reminds us of the most important lesson in our lives: imagination is the path to accept diversity and the path to finding home.
-Zoran Penevski, senior children’s editor, Laguna, Serbia
_____________________________________________

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
KOREA: Seosawon
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA, Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Swedish rights sold for THE GRUMBLEBELLY CAT, MONSTER NANNY rights to Korea

Posted on 27.05.202107.06.2021

Korean publisher Seosawon has acquired the Middle Grade MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen.

The series has now already 30 publishers around the world and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.
The rights are still available in the UK, Japan, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Slovakia, Iceland, Croatia, Israel etc.

If you are interested, download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.

Praise for MONSTER NANNY:
I was fascinated by the characters who were taking matters into their own hands and getting over their difficulties. The setting of Nanny Monster is enough to interest children, and the unique setting inspires courage and wisdom in children. I am sure it is a must-read book for parents who make their children enterprising as well as for their children. – Jang, Sunhee, President of Seosawon, South Korea.

AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S CLASSIC FAIRYTALE TO SWEDEN

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani has now another rights sale! Swedish rights were acquired by Epix Bokförlag!

Previously, the wonderful allegory has been acquired by Dressler/Oetinger Verlag in Germany, Antolog in North Macedonia, Tiritamm in Estonia, and Vild Maskine in Denmark.

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT won the Finnish Literature Export Prize in 2018 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2018 as well. Additionally the book was nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2017 and Runeberg Junior Prize 2018.

Download the full illustrated English pdf here!

Praise for GRUMBLEBELLY CAT:
A wise and fearless fairytale novel about a cat with an appetite bigger than itself. At the same time it is a story about a girl smaller in size than her soul.
– Aamulehti newspaper

In a barren land, when a little girl meets a gigantic cat that threatens to devour her, she makes it a smart offer. The girl leads the cat across the lands, looking for something to satiate its hunger before it eats her, but they encounter draught, destruction and people who have nothing to eat except their dreams. When the cat gobbles up the girl, she finds something in its belly, something that has made it so hungry…

_____________________________________________

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighbourhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

MONSTER NANNY
Rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE FILMS
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto/ Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

Reading materials:
English edition

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT
Rights sold:

FINLAND: Karisto (orig.)
DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
GERMANY: Dressler/Oetinger Verlag
NORTH MACEDONIA: Antolog
SWEDEN: Epix Bokförlag

Reading materials:
full illustrated English pdf

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.

Read more Author's page

About author

Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Romanian rights sold for MONSTER NANNY trilogy!

Posted on 29.04.202111.05.2021

We are really happy to announce that Univers in Romania has now acquired all 3 titles of the MONSTER NANNY trilogy!

The series already has 29 publishers around the world and a feature film is in development by Scott Free Productions.
The rights are still available in the UK, Bulgaria, Greece, Japan, Serbia, Slovakia, Iceland, Korea, Croatia, Israel etc

If you are interested, download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.
MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

PS! Only 2 days left to apply to FILI translation grants from Finnish and Finland Swedish!

Apply now:
The unique translation grant system in Finland gives you an opportunity to finance your translation costs up to 70%. If you are translating picture books – you can also apply to a printing grant of up to 1000€, read more here: https://fili.fi/en/grants/

The Spring application period started on 1st of April and will be closed on 1st of May.

Please note that only translations from Finnish or Finnish-Swedish to foreign languages will be supported.

Translators:
We will advise you to find the best possible translators, and in some cases, you can also translate from English. Find more information about translators here: https://kaantopiiri.fi/en/search-translators/

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA: Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Estonian rights sold for THE GRUMBLEBELLY CAT, Lithuanian for MONSTER ROUTE!

Posted on 22.04.202104.05.2021

Magdalena Hai’s the GRUMBLEBELLY CAT has now another right sale! Estonian rights were acquired by Tiritamm!

Previously, the wonderful allegory has been acquired by Dressler/Oetinger Verlag in Germany, Antolog in North Macedonia and Vild Maskine in Denmark.

Download the full illustrated English pdf here!

In a barren land, when a little girl meets a gigantic cat that threatens to devour her, she makes it a smart offer. The girl leads the cat across the lands, looking for something to satiate its hunger before it eats her, but they encounter draught, destruction and people who have nothing to eat except their dreams. When the cat gobbles up the girl, she finds something in its belly, something that has made it so hungry…

PRAISE for GRUMBLEBELLY CAT:
A wise and fearless fairytale novel about a cat with an appetite bigger than itself. At the same time it is a story about a girl smaller in size than her soul.
– Aamulehti newspaper

That is not all!

Lithuanian publisher Nieko Rimto is continuing Tuutikki Tolonen’s middlegrade MONSTER NANNY series and has now acquired the second title in the series – MONSTER ROUTE!

The series already has 29 publishers around the world and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.
The rights are still available in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Japan, Serbia, Slovakia, Iceland, Korea, Croatia, Israel etcIf you are interested, download the English materials for the Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.
MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.
Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

PS! Only 9 days left to apply to FILI translation grants from Finnish and Finland Swedish!

Apply now:
The unique translation grant system in Finland gives you an opportunity to finance your translation costs up to 70%. If you are translating picture books – you can also apply to a printing grant of up to 1000€, read more here: https://fili.fi/en/grants/

The Spring application period started on 1st of April and will be closed on 1st of May.

Please note that only translations from Finnish or Finnish-Swedish to foreign languages will be supported.

Translators:
We will advise you to find the best possible translators, and in some cases, you can also translate from English. Find more information about translators here: https://kaantopiiri.fi/en/search-translators/

GRUMBLEBELLY CAT
by Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Karisto (orig.)

DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
GERMANY: Dressler/Oetinger Verlag
NORTH MACEDONIA: Antolog

Reading materials:
full illustrated English pdf

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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.

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Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

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Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

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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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR acquired by Eesti Raamat in Estonia

Posted on 16.02.202126.02.2021

We are very happy to announce that the first international rights for Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR have been sold to Eesti Raamat in Estonia!

AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR is the second title in the Middle Grade (8-12y) series Agnes. The first title AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS will be published in 6 countries.

The series is illustrated by talented Kati Vuorento.

Download the materials for both titles here.

	AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR by Tuutikki Tolonen 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’s no 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?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat Download materials here
	AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS by Tuutikki Tolonen 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? And after the visit to the cemetery she starts to have very mysterious dreams. It feels like someone who lived a long time ago is trying to tell something to her… Is it possible that these two Agneses from different times have some connection?
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o., DENMARK: ABC Forlag, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag, RUSSIA: Rosman Download materials here

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!

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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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Year 2020 at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency: New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck, Award-winners and Bestsellers

Posted on 22.12.202018.01.2021

The year 2020 marks a historic moment for Finnish Literature Exports: Elina Ahlback Literary Agency’s author Max Seeck and his US debut The Witch Hunter became an instant New York Times Bestseller in November 2020. Congratulations to Max Seeck, New York Times Bestselling Author, for writing his way into Finnish literary history! Furthermore, a Hollywood TV series based on The Witch Hunter is in development by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

The year 2020 brought more bestsellers, award-winners and nominees from Finland to the World’s Literary Map.

We are grateful to our wonderful authors, to our great publishers and collaborators around the world, and wish everyone a Happy Holiday season!

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck
Uskollinen lukija, Tammi 2019AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Rights sold to 40 territories

“The Witch Hunter, translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present-tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.” –Wall Street Journal

AWARD WINNERS:

Arctic Mirage by Terhi Kokkonen
Rajamaa, Otava 2020Winner of the 2020 Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize – Prestigious award for the best debut novel of the year.

“In a rich and sensitive novel in which people can be strange, lewd, and at the same time infinitely ordinary. Contradictions and a mystery-like atmosphere remain after finishing the book – as happens in the best and most fascinating novels.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

When the King Dies by Elina Backman
Kun kuningas kuolee, Otava 2020Winner of the Elisa Audio Book Award 2020: Best newcomer

“A Star is Born”. – Iltalehti newspaper

Ripple Effect by Leena Lehtolainen
Jälkikaiku, Tammi 2020Winner of the Elisa Audio Book Awards 2020: The Best Crime Novel

Pro Finlandia Medal awarded by the Order of the Lion of Finland as a lifetime achievement.

“In Ripple Effect everything really works. The curtains of secrets sway appropriately, sometimes covering, sometimes revealing. The daily life of the police and the civilian life is mixed in an appropriate proportion.” – Amman lukuhekiä blog

Homestead by Ann-Luise Bertell
Heiman, Förlaget 2020Nominated for Finlandia Prize 2020
Nominated for Runeberg Prize 2021

“Homestead is a captivating and rooted story that takes us through Ostrobothnia for four generations in a spacious landscape. The language of the book is accurate but gestureless, the characters carry pain under the cross-pressure of who they are and who they desire to be. Bertell looks at her characters gently, even when they least deserve it.” – Finlandia Prize Jury

Stormseye by Meri Luttinen
Myrskynsilmä, WSOY 2020Nominated for Finlandia Prize for Children’s & YA Literature 2020
Nominated for Topelius Prize 2021

“In the age-old rite, young girls find their life mission. Kainu’s fate turns out to be to become a sage, which brings with it a great deal of responsibility. She has to solve the riddle of the Stormseye pendant to find herself and her place in the community. Set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world, the debut novel is a great growth story that deals with difference, loneliness and overcoming one’s own fears.” – Topelius Prize Jury

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams by Tuutikki Tolonen
Agnes ja unien avain, WSOY 2020Nominated for Arvid Lydecken Prize 2021

”This book has the reader hooked up from the beginning! One has to read a chapter after chapter – even though it would be time to sleep.” – Maaseudun tulevaisuus newspaper

A Beautiful Day to Die by Veera Salmi
Kaunis ilma kuolla, Otava 2020Nominated for Topelius prize 2021

“The road trip-inspired book realistically and credibly describes the lives of young people in situations from which there seems to be no way out. The novel challenges us to think about the significance of starting points for life and its direction. At the same time, it tells a resounding story about the difficulty of making choices, getting to know yourself, and taking responsibility.” – Topelius Prize Jury

NATIONAL BETSELLERS:

Greatest of All is Love. The Marimekko Story by Ulla-Maija Paavilainen
Suurin niistä on rakkaus, Otava 2020

“The Marimekko story is entertaining read. Sometimes you laughs and sometimes you cry as this glamorous lady makes things happen at her own way. However, the biography written by Ulla-Maija Paavilainen is not just a song of praise for a business guru, but it also depicts Kirsti Paakkanen’s weaknesses and painful moments, such as infertility and loneliness.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Extraordinary Women of History by Maria Pettersson
Historian jännät naiset, Atena 2020

“Inspiring book! It is well written and made me want to learn more. I have found myself googling many of these women afterwards. This book can really be recommended to anyone. Personally I read it in two days. Please, read it! ” – Anikó Lehtinen, journalist

Facelift by Miika Nousiainen

Pintaremontti, Otava 2020

“Facelift is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

About author

Ann-Luise Bertell

Ann-Luise Bertell is a versatile artist who, with sensitivity, precision, and authenticity, has enriched both literature and the theater scene. Ann-Luise was born in Oravais in 1971 and lives in Vörå, and her artistry has deep roots in Ostrobothnia, with her heart beating for the power of storytelling.
She debuted as a poet in 1997 and has since written everything from children’s books and drama to acclaimed novels such as Vänd om min längtan, Glöm bort din saknad, and Heiman, which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and the Runeberg Prize in 2020. Her latest novel, Skuggas, was published in the spring of 2025.
Her works are characterized by strong emotional depth, historical themes, and often deal with longing and sorrow, identity, and family ties. Her authorship has been compared to the great Västerbotten storytellers such as Sara Lidman and Torgny Lindgren, as well as Selma Lagerlöf. Ann-Luise herself admires authors such as Sofi Oksanen and Sara Stridsberg. She has also dramatized both Vänd om min längtan and Heiman for the stage.
As former director of Wasa Theatre (2010–2015 and 2020–2025), she has also demonstrated leadership and artistic vision, and her contributions have been recognized with several awards, including Svenska Yle’s Literature Prize, an award from the Swedish Academy, the Choraeus Prize, and in the spring of 2025, the Cultural Prize from the Swedish Ostrobothnian Society.

Photo credit: Linus Lindholm

About author

Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Saana Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 190 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen

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About author

Maria Pettersson

As a child, Maria Pettersson’s dream job was to be an international adventurer. Instead, she became an award-winning journalist, the editor-in-chief of several magazines and a serious history geek. She has worked for the biggest newspapers, radio stations and TV channels in Finland. She has travelled in over 70 countries, got married in Vegas and spent her honeymoon in North Korea. Her hobbies include games and roleplaying, observing big machines, studying small Slavic languages and visiting dead dictators. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland.

About author

Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

Max Seeck – New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 11 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

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About author

Meri Luttinen

Meri Luttinen is an award-winning Finnish debut writer from Tampere. Her debut Stormseye won the Topelius prize and was nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children's & YA literature in 2020.

She has a Master's degree in Finnish language and literature and has worked teaching Finnish and creating study materials. Luttinen is fascinated by everyday life in different eras and wants to transport readers to other worlds with her texts.

About author

Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen (b. 1973 in Säynätsalo) has worked as a news and current affairs journalist for MTV3's news department. In addition, he has written for several popular TV-shows.

Nousiainen’s debut novel, Raspberry Boat Refugee (2007), tells the story of Mikko Virtanen, a man who desperately wants to become Swedish at any cost. In this tragicomic work, Nousiainen makes sharp observations about our western neighbor and illustrates that we’re all self-proclaimed experts on Sweden.

Roots (2016) follows the search for a missing father, taking readers across continents from Lieksa, Finland, to Australia. The book was also well-received internationally.

In Facelift (2020), Nousiainen gently explores themes of family and the longing for connection.

In addition, he has written The Danger of the Long Distance Runner (2009) and Forrest Giant (2011).

Nousiainen's novels have been adapted countless times and translated into languages such as Swedish, German, Dutch, Italian, and Estonian.

Miika Nousiainen have been awarded with: Laila Hirvisaari Foundation Grant (2008), Kalevi Jäntti Prize (2009) and Honorable Mention in the Sports Museum Foundation’s Sports Book of the Year Competition (2010)

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen / Otava 2020

About author

Terhi Kokkonen

Terhi Kokkonen (1974) is a Helsinki-based musician and pop lyricist. She is known for the band Scandinavian Music Group, as well as being one of the singers of the band Ultra Bra. Kokkonen has studied dramaturgy at the Theater Academy and screenwriting and film editing at the Department of Cinematography and Stage Design at Aalto University. Arctic Mirage is her debut novel, and it was awarded as the best debut novel of 2020.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

About author

Ulla-Maija Paavilainen

Ulla-Maija Paavilainen, award-winning journalist, is the author of several well-received novels and non-fiction books. She has worked as the editor-in-chief at several top Finnish magazines over the past 25 years. One of her specific areas of interest is the role of women in working life and analysing the power structure and what is required for women to have successful careers.

Paavilainen’s most recent work is the moving biography of the legendary entrepreneur Kirsti Paakkanen, who took over Marimekko, one of Finland’s most famous design brands. Kirsti Paakkanen: Greatest of All is Love is the story of Marimekko, an authentic rags-to riches tale of how a poor girl from the countryside first founded the world’s first all-women’s advertising agency, Womena. Selling Womena when she was 62, Paakkanen bought Marimekko, a global design company that was on the verge of bankruptcy and turned it around into an international iconic fashion house.

About author

Veera Salmi

Veera Salmi is a Helsinki-based writer, who has worked over 15 years as a kindergarten teacher. The real starting point for her career as a writer was given by the children in the kindergarten, who said they wanted to hear stories of children who live in the city. So she started writing such stories. Now Veera Salmi is a bestselling author of over 20 books.

Topelius Award and Arvid Lydecken Award Nominations

Posted on 14.12.202018.12.2020

Congratulations to our Topelius and Arvid Lydecken Award Nominees 2021!

Tuutikki Tolonen is nominated for Arvid Lydecken Award with her novel “Agnes and the Garden of Dreams” (WSOY 2020, illustrated by Kati Vuorento).

“Agnes and her mother move to a new town after the parents divorce. There she finds a tombstone with the name of Agnes and her birthday on it. Agnes begins to see dreams of a garden of an old villa and a girl walking there. She gets caught up in a mystical chain of events and finds herself from the middle of the garden of her dreams. The fascinatingly written narrative moves smoothly between the present and the past.”

Topelius Award nominees are Veera Salmi with her YA novel “A Beautiful Day to Die” (Otava 2020), and Finlandia-nominated Meri Luttinen with “Stormseye” (WSOY 2020).

“A Beautiful Day to Die: Isra, who has a Moroccan background, and Leo, who is thrown from one surrogate family to another, feel deadlocked. They have one goal in their life: to see the pandas of Ähtäri and die. The road trip-inspired book realistically and credibly describes the lives of young people in situations from which there seems to be no way out. The novel challenges us to think about the significance of starting points for life and its direction. At the same time, it tells a resounding story about the difficulty of making choices, getting to know yourself, and taking responsibility.”

“Stormseye: In the age-old rite, young girls find their life mission. Kainu’s fate turns out to be to become a sage, which brings with it a great deal of responsibility. She has to solve the riddle of the Stormseye pendant to find herself and her place in the community. Set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world, the debut novel is a great growth story that deals with difference, loneliness and overcoming one’s own fears.”

Topelius Award is given to a brilliant YA authors and novels, and Arvid Lydecken Award to Children’s Books.

About author

Meri Luttinen

Meri Luttinen is an award-winning Finnish debut writer from Tampere. Her debut Stormseye won the Topelius prize and was nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children's & YA literature in 2020.

She has a Master's degree in Finnish language and literature and has worked teaching Finnish and creating study materials. Luttinen is fascinated by everyday life in different eras and wants to transport readers to other worlds with her texts.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

About author

Veera Salmi

Veera Salmi is a Helsinki-based writer, who has worked over 15 years as a kindergarten teacher. The real starting point for her career as a writer was given by the children in the kindergarten, who said they wanted to hear stories of children who live in the city. So she started writing such stories. Now Veera Salmi is a bestselling author of over 20 books.

AGNES sold to Germany, THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series to Italy!

Posted on 05.11.202020.11.2020

We are very happy to announce 2 new children’s translation rights sales!

Tuutikki Tolonen’s AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS was acquired by Carlsen Verlag (also German publisher for J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer etc)

Agnes is a very charming story about friendship and family, it is gripping and heartwarming at the same time. Tuutikki Tolonen takes us to a place full of mysteries and dreams and she creates an atmosphere where the reader immediately feels comfortable. We are very happy to welcome Agnes to our list!

– Wiebke Andersen, Editor, Carlsen Verlag, Germany

Ask for English sample for the title by clicking here.

We are equally excited because the first 2 titles of THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series by Magdalena Hai were sold to Italian publisher Terre di Mezzo
The wonderful younger middle-grade series has already sold to 14 countries, but rights are still available in: France, United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, China, Bulgaria, Greece etc.

An original, lively series that we hope will continue for a long time. A terribly funny story, with breathtaking illustrations
– Eleonora Armaroli, Terre di Mezzo, Italy

Ask for English texts and pdfs for the series by clicking here.

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS
by Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

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.

THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES
by Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

Nina is a is a clever, 9-year-old girl who goes to work in the Little Shop of Nightmares. During the course of the trilogy, she has to solve a mystery with tickling powder, find the lost teeth of a vampire and discover the reason why suddenly it just doesn’t stop snowing. The Little Shop of Nightmares is a mystery full of fascinating and fun characters that make young readers both wonder and laugh!

#1 THE TERRIBLE TICKLING POWDER
When Nina, 9 years old, 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.

#2 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 to find his teeth from Mr. Kook’s shop. But for some reason all the vampire
teeth seem to have disappeared. It seems like somebody has hidden them on purpose…

#3 STICKY THE TERRIBLE 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.

Rights sold:
AGNES
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
RUSSIA: Rosman

Rights sold
LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES SERIES:

FINLAND:
WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC:
Euromedia
DENMARK:
Vild Maskine
ESTONIA:
Postimees Publishing
GERMANY:
Egmont Schneiderbuch
HUNGARY:
Cerkabella
ITALY:
Terre di Mezzo
LATVIA:
Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS:
De Vier Windstreken
NORWAY:
Fontini
RUSSIA:
KompasGuide
ROMANIA:
Editura Univers
SWEDEN:
Hegas
TURKEY:
Epsilon

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!

Read more Author's page

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.

Read more Author's page

About author

Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

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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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

29th territory for MONSTER NANNY series!

Posted on 01.10.202006.10.2020

We are very happy to announce that Ukrainian publisher School Publishing House has now acquired the rights for all 3 titles in Monster Nanny series. The series now has 29 rights sold and a feature film in development by Scott Free Productions.

Congratulations to Tuutikki Tolonen, Pasi Pitkänen and School Publishing House!

The rights are still available in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Japan, Serbia, Slovakia, Iceland, Korea, Croatia, Israel etc
If you are interested, request the full English materials for Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.
Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

MARESI is now sold to 24 territories! Excellent reviews for LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER, AGNES and ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH!

Posted on 20.04.202029.04.2020

MARESI is now sold to 24 territories!
Excellent reviews for LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER, AGNES and ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH!

We are very happy to announce that MARESI by Maria Turtschaninoff has now been sold to 24 territories!
The Azerbaijani rights were bought today by Alatoran. Rights were also recently acquired in Bulgaria by Izida.
This bestselling YA title has sold to already 24 territories, but the rights are still available in Russia, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia, Japan, Portugal, Croatia and in many other countries. See the rights sold list.

MARESI is the first title in The Red Abbey Chronicles and an international feature film is under development by Film4/The Bureau.
MARESI RED MANTLE, book 3 in the trilogy, was awarded earlier this month the 2020 Global Literature in Libraries Translated Book Prize, as the best translated book of the year!

Request the full English PDFs for the trilogy by clicking here.

About THE RED ABBEY CHRONICLES: The Red Abbey is a refuge for women and girls, where everyone pursues their own areas of interest. Maresi prefers to spend her time reading and learning. Everything changes when the frightened Jai arrives on the island. She has seen her sister get buried alive for speaking to a young man, and her father and a crew of thugs are after her. Maresi and her friends have to fight to defend both Jai and their community.

Meanwhile, Finland’s biggest daily Helsingin Sanomat has reviews for just-published children’s titles LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER, AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS and ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH.

LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER

“Good-mood book for children and adults!”
– Helsingin Sanomat

The 6th title of Little Mouse picture book series deals with summer.
Summer holiday is full of fun: going to the amusement park, playing by the beach and visiting the art museum. Buying strawberries and ice cream, and going to the cinema when the weather is too hot. Little Mouse knows that one must enjoy the summer, because it doesn’t last forever.

Ask for English materials here

ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH

“Text is flowy and interesting, but the illustrations make this surprising, almost lyrical!”
– Helsingin Sanomat

This book has 10 stories, and 10 maps. They may sound or look like they are out of a fairy-tale, but they are real, true maps of our planet. THE ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH is a children’s non-fiction book that also engages adults. Through magical maps it teaches about nature, oceans and the history of continents.

Ask for English materials here.

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS

“Fast-paced mystery plot and relatable strong characters.”
– Helsingin Sanomat

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?

Ask for English materials here.

RED ABBEY CHRONICLES
Rights sold: for the series:

FINLAND (orig.)

AZERBAIJAN
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
BULGARIA
CANADA
CHINA (Simplified)
DENMARK
ESTONIA
FINLAND
FRANCE
GERMANY
HUNGARY
ITALY
LATVIA
NETHERLANDS
NORWAY
POLAND
ROMANIA
WORLD SPANISH
SWEDEN
TURKEY
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
FILM RIGHTS

LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER
Rights sold for the series:

FINLAND (orig.)

AUSTRALIA
CATALAN
CHINA
DENMARK
ESTONIA,
FRANCE
NEPAL
NEW ZEALAND
PORTUGAL,
RUSSIA
SPAIN
UNITED KINGDOM

ENCHANTED PLANET EARTH
Rights sold:

FINLAND (orig.)

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS
Rights sold:

FINLAND (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
ESTONIA
RUSSIA

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

Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in over 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

About author

Satu Kontinen

Satu Kontinen is a graphic designer and illustrator obsessed with flowers. She is known for her detailed ink works as well as creating quirky creatures and imaginary worlds that spark the imagination of kids and adults alike. She has been awarded for designing and illustrating one of the most beautiful books/book covers in Finland (_Vuoden kaunein kirja_ by the Finnish Book Art Committee) in 2008, 2015, 2016 and in 2018. In 2004 she was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize and in 2017 she was one of the top 10 finalists in the prestigious Rudolf Koivu illustration awards. In 2020 she was given a Merit Award in the Three x Three International Illustration Awards.

In her free time Satu enjoys designing floral fabrics and writing children's and YA fiction in secrecy. Maybe some day she will show them to a publisher.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Portál in Czech Republic completes the Monster Nanny trilogy!

Posted on 04.02.202014.02.2020

Portál in Czech Republic completes the Monster Nanny trilogy!

We are very happy to announce another deal for Monster Nanny trilogy!

Czech publisher Portál acquired the rights for the third part of Monster Nanny series: Monster Message, thus completing the trilogy!

Monster Nanny trilogy has already sold to 28 countries and a feature film is in development by Scott Free Productions.

Request the full English materials for Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.

CZECH PRAISE FOR TUUTIKKI TOLONEN:

“Reality blends with dreams in the stories of Tuutikki Tolonen, just as children like. We are extremely happy that her books are published in our publishing house and that we can introduce them to Czech readers.”
– Hana Zobačová, Portál, Czech Republic

MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.
Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.

PS! Are you attending Bologna Children’s Book Fair? So are we! Send us a meeting request to info@ahlbackagency.com and let’s discuss Monster Nanny and our new spring list in Bologna!

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

New year’s sales for WEIRD WEATHER and MONSTER NANNY trilogy!

Posted on 09.01.202031.01.2020

We are very happy to start the new year with 3 new children’s deals!

Weird Weather! Why Does Climate Change? was just acquired by Ordinal Books for the Latin American Spanish market.

The book was only published in October 2019 and has already sold to Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey!

The accurate but hopeful children’s non-fiction book explains how humans are responsible for climate change and what we can do to ensure a brighter future. It also gives tips on how everyone can make better choices and practice climate skills every day. The book is written by Laura Ertimo and illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu.

Request the reading materials for Weird Weather here!

Chinese publisher Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House acquired the rights for both Tuutikki Tolonen’s Monster Route and Monster Message, completing the Monster Nanny trilogy!

Monster Nanny trilogy has already sold to 28 countries and a feature film is in development by Scott Free Productions.

Request the full English materials for Monster Nanny trilogy by clicking here.
MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY:

Book 1: Monster Nanny
Mörkövahti. Tammi 2015, 300 pp.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.
Book 2: Monster Route
Mörköreitti. Tammi 2016, 280 pp.

Mimi 6 years, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gate Keeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Book 3: Monster Message
Mörköviesti, Tammi, March 2020, 250 pp.

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?

The three books are all illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen.
Don’t forget that until 1st of February you can apply for a FILI grant covering up to 70% of the translation costs and another covering up to 1000€ children’s books’ printing costs. More info from FILI’s website.

WEIRD WEATHER
Ihme ilmat!
Into Kustannus 2019, 48 pp.
235 x 250 mm, four-color-illustrations

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Into Kustannus (orig.)

ESTONIA: Avita
HUNGARY: Ciceró Könyvstúdió
ITALY: Mondadori/Edizioni Piemme
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
MEXICO: (Latin America Spanish rights): Ordinal Books
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Amber
SERBIA: Odiseja
SLOVAKIA: Ikar
SPAIN: Astronave
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: Kolektif

MONSTER NANNY SERIES:

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig. publisher)

AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

3 new children’s deals: Weird Weather, Princess Rascal and Monster Nanny!

Posted on 06.12.201908.01.2020

3 new children’s deals: Weird Weather, Princess Rascal and Monster Nanny!

We are very excited to announce our 3 new children’s deals!

WEIRD WEATHER! Why Does Climate Change? – a book that explains climate change to children (and adults) was just acquired by Astronave in Spain.

WEIRD WEATHER was published only in October and has already sold to Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey which means that soon the book will be published in 10 territories!Weird Weather! Why Does Climate Change? is accurate but hopeful children’s non-fiction book that explains how humans are responsible for climate change and what we can do to ensure a brighter future. It also gives tips on how everyone can make better choices and practice climate skills every day. The book is written by Laura Ertimo and illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu.

Request the reading materials for Weird Weather here!

Lithuanian publisher Nieko Rimto
acquired the rights for:

Elina Hirvonen’s Princess Rascal and
Tuutikki Tolonen’s Monster Nanny!

Princess Rascal is a spirited and resourceful little girl, like the kid sister of Pippi Longstocking!

You would think that Rascal is a just a little girl, but she’s also a princess with many crowns for different purposes: one for Important Thoughts, one for Great Adventures, one for Peaceful Dreams. When Mom gets mad at her, she must find the right crown to calm Mom down.

Princess Rascal is a picture book about a little girl who knows her mind and has a heart of gold, though sometimes it’s difficult to know the right thing to do. The book has been praised for its accurate and hilarious depictions of everyday life in a toddler family: sometimes parents get tired, too.
The book is written by Elina Hirvonen and illustrated by Mervi Lindman.

Request the full English pdf for Princess Rascal by clicking here.

Monster Nanny is a wonderful middle-grade book, first of a trilogy that has already sold to 25 countries and a feature film is in development by Scott Free Productions.

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.
The author of the book is Tuutikki Tolonen and the illustrations are done by Pasi Pitkänen.

Request the full English manuscript for Monster Nanny by clicking here.

WEIRD WEATHER
Ihme ilmat!
Into Kustannus 2019, 48 pp.
235 x 250 mm, four-color-illustrations

Rights sold:

FINLAND:
Into Kustannus (orig.)

ESTONIA:
Eesti Raamat
HUNGARY:
Ciceró Könyvstúdió
ITALY:
Mondadori/Edizioni Piemme
LITHUANIA:
Obuolys
NORWAY:
Aschehoug
SERBIA:
Odiseja
SPAIN:
Astronave
SWEDEN:
Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY:
Kolektif

PRINCESS RASCAL
Prinsessa Rämäpään talvitaika, Tammi, 42pp

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi
(orig. publisher)

LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto

MONSTER NANNY
Mörkövahti, Tammi, 303pp

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig.)
AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen is an award-winning Finnish novelist and documentary filmmaker whose work has been translated into multiple languages. Her debut novel When I Forgot was featured on the front page of The New York Times Book Review and received acclaim from The Independent, The Guardian, Financial Times, and The Globe and Mail.

Hirvonen has been awarded the Kalevi Jäntti Prize and the Nuori Aleksis Prize, and her work has been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize.

Her recent documentary film, The Secret Reading Club of Kabul explores reading, resistance, and inner life under conditions of violence—questions that also resonate at the heart of her latest novel, The Logbook of Beauty.

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

Mervi Lindman

Mervi Lindman is a much-loved illustrator whose cheerful artworks have been published in 19 different countries to date. Her work is full of humor, warmth, and emotional depth. She captures the magical world of childhood and the wonders of everyday life in her illustrations. Lindman’s passion lies in creating imagery that speaks to children while also entertaining adults. Lindman’s illustrations have been regularly appraised by critics and public alike.

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

4th pre-publication sale for AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS

Posted on 01.11.201919.11.2019

Tuutikki Tolonen’s newest middle-grade adventure book AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS Czech rights were just acquired by Portál! This is now the 4th pre-publication sale for this amazing title.

Award-winning Tuutikki Tolonen’s previous Monster Nanny trilogy has been sold to 25 territories and film rights to Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free Productions.

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams, which will be first published in Finland by WSOY in January 2020 includes beautiful illustrations by Kati Vuorento.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
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?

PUBLISHER’S PRAISE:

„We are very happy to introduce Agnes to Czech readers! It’s a book with a secret we’ve been looking for for our child readers.“
– Hana Zobačová, Editor, Portál , s. r. o, Czech Republic

Request the English reading materials for Agnes here!

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Frankfurt Children’s Deals: Weird Weather, Agnes, Little Shop of Nightmares

Posted on 24.10.201901.11.2019

Frankfurt Children’s Deals: Weird Weather, Agnes, Little Shop of Nightmares

We are very excited to announce our Frankfurt Book Fair 4 new children’s deals!

Weird Weather: Why Does Climate Change? is an excellent children’s non-fiction book about climate change by Laura Ertimo, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu. The book was acquired by Aschehoug in Norway and Odiseja in Serbia.
The book was published for only 3 weeks ago and has already sold to 5 territories: Estonia, Italy, Norway, Serbia, and Sweden!About the book: WEIRD WEATHER! Why Does Climate Change? is accurate but hopeful children’s non-fiction book that explains how humans are responsible for climate change and what we can do to ensure a brighter future. It also gives tips on how everyone can make better choices and practice climate skills every day.

Request the almost full English pdf for Weird Weather here!

Danish publisher ABC Forlag acquired the rights for Tuutikki Tolonen’s Agnes and the Garden of Dreams.
The book will be first published in Finland in the beginning of 2020 and the translation rights have already been sold to 3 countries: to Denmark, Estonia and Russia.About the book: Moving to a new city is frightening enough for 11-year-old Agnes. But when she makes an exciting discovery at the local cemetery the summer isn’t the same anymore!

Tuutikki Tolonen is the award-winning author of Monster Nanny trilogy that is sold to 20+ countries worldwide. Agnes and the Garden of Dreams also includes beautiful illustrations by Kati Vuorento.

Request the English reading materials for Agnes here!

Latvian publisher Latvijas Mediji purchased rights for the 1st part of The Little Shop of Nightmares series – The Little Shop of Nightmares: Terrible Tickling Powder.

About the series: The Little Shop of Nightmares by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani is a new early readers’ series about a strange little shop and its employees – who are even stranger. It all starts with 9-year old Nina, who wants to earn money for a bicycle. So she applies to work in a Little Shop of Nightmares!

The lovely early reader’s series has now been sold to 10 territories in 2 months!
“The Little Shop of Nightmares” is a richly illustrated funny tale for children with a fascinating storyline. The book doesn’t only entertain – it also conveys a message to young readers that it is necessary to work and make efforts to fulfill their dreams and let think about topics such as friendship, sincerity, helpfulness, courage, dedication, perseverance.”

– Gunta Apse, Editor, Publishing House Latvijas Mediji, Latvia

Request the full English pdfs for the Little Shop of Nightmares series here!

Rights sold (Weird Weather):

FINLAND:
Into Kustannus (orig.)
ESTONIA:
Eesti Raamat
ITALY:
Mondadori/Edizioni Piemme
NORWAY:
Aschehoug
SERBIA:
Odiseja
SWEDEN:
Rabén & Sjögren

Rights sold (Agnes):

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
RUSSIA: Rosman

Rights sold (Little Shop of Nightmares):

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
SWEDEN:
Hegas
TURKEY:
Epsilon

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!

Read more Author's page

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

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.

Read more Author's page

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

Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Russian rights sold for Agnes and the Garden of Dreams!

Posted on 08.10.201910.10.2019

The largest children’s books publisher in Russia – Rosman – bought the rights for Tuutikki Tolonen’s Agnes and the Garden of Dreams.

Moving to a new city is frightening enough for 11-year-old Agnes. But when she makes an exciting discovery at the local cemetery the summer isn’t the same anymore!

Tuutikki Tolonen is the award-winning author of Monster Nanny trilogy that is sold to 20+ countries worldwide. Agnes and the Garden of Dreams also includes beautiful illustrations by Kati Vuorento.

Agnes is a character who is very natural to sympathize with. She is curious, vivid and sincere. Her friendship with Bun is very much likable and heartwarming. To follow these two on their investigation was a great pleasure due to the incredible imagination and excellent writing skill of Tuutikki Tolonen. We believe Tuutikki has a really bright future in such kind of books.
– Polina Vlastovskaya, Head of children’s fiction books department, ROSMAN Publishing house

Request the reading materials for Agnes here!

Rights sold (Agnes):

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
RUSSIA: Rosman

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Allen & Unwin acquires Australian and New Zealand rights to Monster Nanny!

Posted on 20.08.201904.09.2019

We are absolutely thrilled to share the wonderful news that ALLEN & UNWIN has acquired Australian and New Zealand and Oceania rights to Tuutikki Tolonen’s internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY (Tammi 2015) and will publish the book in Australia and New Zealand in Spring 2020 with Pasi Pitkänen’s charming illustrations.

Rights are now sold in 26 territories and a feature film is in development with Scott Free Productions and Ridley Scott co-producing.

Allen & Unwin is Australia’s leading independent publisher and has been voted “Publisher of the Year” thirteen times including the inaugural award in 1992 and eleven times since 2000.

“Allen & Unwin are delighted to be publishing Tuutikki Tolonen’s MONSTER NANNY in Australia and New Zealand. Like others before us, we fell in love with the matter-of-fact way Tuutikki Tolonen’s contemporary world intersects with the fantastical. And what a delightful fantastical world it is: those non-talking dusty monsters, the oracle-like talking bathrobe, those fierce monster-piercing pixies. All very strange and yet completely believable. It’s dreamlike and funny – and very much a world I’d love to inhabit!”

– Anna McFarlane | Publisher, Books for Children and Young Adults | Allen & Unwin, Australia & New Zealand, Publisher of the Year 2016

Rights sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (orig.)
AUSTRALIA, Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND, Allen & Unwin
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
OCEANIA, Allen & Unwin
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

NEW CHILDREN’S DEALS

Posted on 08.08.201922.08.2019

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!

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

New sales for Monster Nanny, Little Mouse and The Monster Tournament

Posted on 02.05.201921.05.2019

Amazing news about our wonderful children’s titles!

Monster Nanny celebrates its 25th foreign sale as Turbine bought the Danish rights to this adorable middle-grade series with a Hollywood feature film being developed.

”Crazy fun to read with kids… very, very beautifully made… The illustrations are perfect because they create a second layer to the story, which is what illustrations are supposed to do. They tell their own story and visualize Grah, Hilla, Kaapo and Maikki perfectly.” – Ines Dettmann, Deutschlandfunk

Riikka Jäntti’s Little Mouse travels far far away as Kathalaya acquired the Nepalese rights to the first 3 books of the series! Kathalaya’s mission is to bring foreign stories to the Nepalese readers while increasing the literacy rate and the culture of reading.

Get ready for the Monster Tournament! Pasi Pitkänen is one of the Finland’s most sought-after illustrators, and in his second solo-project he has created a colorful action-packed picture book. The first foreign sales to The Monster Tournament was to Egypt, where Ink Publishing acquired the World Arabic rights.

Rights sold (Monster Nanny):
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Asa Editiones/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

Right sold (Little Mouse series):
FINLAND, Tammi (Original publisher)
AUSTRALIA, Scribble/Scribe
CHINA, Beijing Yuntu Tech
DENMARK, ABC Forlag
NEPAL, Kathalaya
NEW ZEALAND, Scribble/Scribe
UK, Scribble/Scribe

Rights sold (Monster Tournament):
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
WORLD ARABIC: Ink Publishing

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

About author

Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in over 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

New deals for Monster Nanny in Portugal and Czech Republic – rights sold in 24 territories

Posted on 29.03.201902.05.2019

We are thrilled to announce our pre-Bologna news about Monster Nanny – now sold to 24 territories! Editoras Asa/Leya was happy to acquire Portuguese rights to this bestselling middle-grade adventure by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen.

“A fantastic and exhilarating story, full of that kind of craziness that I’m sure will appeal to all kinds of readers!”
–Vítor Silva Mota, Editor, Literatura Infantojuvenil e BD, Edições ASA e Texto Editores

More good news come from Czech Republic, where Tuutikki’s publisher Portál acquired rights to the sequel; Monster Route.

If you haven’t bought the rights to this international bestseller (or books 2 or 3) – hurry up! The Hollywood feature film based on Monster Nanny is being developed by Scott Free Productions!

BOOK 1: MONSTER NANNY
What happens when three ordinary kids get a troll-like monster nanny for the summer?

BOOK 2: MONSTER ROUTE
Monsters’ underground world is full of wonders… and dangers not suitable for human kids.

BOOK 3: MONSTER MESSAGE
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 (Original publisher)
BOSNIA, Šahinpašic
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
THE NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
POLAND, Vesper
PORTUGAL, Edições ASA/Leya
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Book 1)

FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Hanser Verlag acquires German rights to Monster Nanny Book 3: The Monster Message

Posted on 07.03.201928.03.2019

Pitched as ”The Monstrous Mary Poppins” the Monster Nanny series has sold to 23 territories! The German publisher Carl Hanser Verlag acquired the rights to the 3rd book of the series, Monster Message, which will be published in 2020.

Reihe Hanser is also launching the pocket book editions of Monster Nanny and Monster Route, which will be out in the fall 2019.

If you haven’t bought the rights to books 2 or 3 – hurry up! The Hollywood feature film based on Monster Nanny is being developed by Scott Free Productions!

BOOK 3: MONSTER MESSAGE
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?

* * *

“Crazy fun to read with kids… very, very beautifully made… The illustrations are perfect because they create a second layer to the story, which is what illustrations are supposed to do. They tell their own story and visualize Grah, Hilla, Kaapo and Maikki perfectly.” – Ines Dettmann, Deutschlandfunk

”The upbeat tone, oddball details, and Pitkänen’s humorous b&w cartoons combine to create a strange but entertaining romp that will surprise readers at every turn.” – Publishers Weekly, USA

“This riddle-filled story is original, touching, incredible.” – Livresse des Livres blog, France

Rights Sold:

FINLAND, Tammi (Original publisher)
BOSNIA, Šahinpašic
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
THE NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
POLAND, Vesper
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Book 1)

FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography

2026, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Children of Spooky Theater and the Talking Cabinet

Tuutikki Tolonen

2025, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily

Tuutikki Tolonen

2024, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

The Secret Ones

Tuutikki Tolonen

2022, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Tuutikki Tolonen

2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Tuutikki Tolonen

2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen

2015, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen

Related news

05.02.2026

Runeberg prize winners + other awards!

11.11.2025

Two of our wonderful titles nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize!

22.10.2025

Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

22.10.2025

The Secret Ones is a White Ravens 2025!

08.05.2025

Chinese rights renewed for MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen!

05.02.2025

THE SECRET ONES sold to Poland

02.09.2024

Slovakian rights to MONSTER ROUTE acquired by Arkus!

10.05.2024

THE SECRET ONES sold to Czechia!

02.05.2023

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

28.04.2023

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS picked as book prize for German reading competition

01.03.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

14.02.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

12.01.2023

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

11.07.2022

Croatian rights pre-empted for MONSTER NANNY – 34 territories sold!

07.07.2022

Greek Rights for Monster Nanny sold!

26.04.2022

Three new Children’s deals!

20.04.2022

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS acquired in Hungary!

01.04.2022

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW now sold to Estonia pre-publication!

02.02.2022

Dutch audio rights for MONSTER NANNY trilogy sold!

01.02.2022

Czech rights sold for AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR!

Monster Nanny sold to 22 languages, new reviews for our children’s highlights

Posted on 05.10.201829.10.2018

Frankfurt is around the corner and we’re gearing up for the biggest and the most beautiful book fair of the year. We’ve got a lot of fantastic children’s books to introduce to you.

The highlights include the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize nominee 2018 The Grumblebelly Cat by Magdalena Hai, the Monster Nanny series by Tuutikki Tolonen and the new title in Maria Turtschaninoff’s Red Abbey Chronicles: Letters from Maresi.

We’re thrilled to announce the 22nd foreign rights deal for our hit series Monster Nanny written by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen. The novel was sold to Vesper in Poland, and they are glad about the acquisition of this novel, which is being developed into a Hollywood feature film by Scott Free Productions:

“Well written, imaginative, warm and addictive. One of the best children novels we have ever read!” said Jakub Kozłowski, rights manager of Vesper, Poland.

The new titles by our children’s & YA authors have been receiving great reviews in the press:

Turn On the Lights! Turn Off the Lights! by Salla Simukka
“The dark side of the book can be a frightening experience for readers of all ages. The light side is pure joy!” – Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper

Letters from Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
“Turtschaninoff’s literary universe can be compared to that of the biggest names in the genre. The Letters from Maresi is a rich, skilfully written epistolary novel that shows that Maria Turtschaninoff gets better and better with each novel. She is an incomparable narrator.” – Yle broadcaster

The Third Sister by Magdalena Hai
“The world of the first installment of the Royaume Chronicles is abundant and filled with meanings. […] This fantasy world can be enjoyed by youngsters and adults alike” – Aamulehti newspaper ****

Rights sold: Monster Nanny
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
POLAND, Vesper
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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.

Read more Author's page

About author

Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

Read more Author's page

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

About author

Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Breaking news for Monster Nanny feature film: Screen Australia invests in development

Posted on 03.08.201823.08.2018

The wheels are turning with the Monster Nannyfeature film! This family film co-produced by Ridley Scott has received development funding from Screen Australia.

“The monstrous Mary Poppins”, a universally charming award-winning story by Tuutikki Tolonen, published in 22 territories, is being developed into a Hollywood feature film by Scott Free Productions.

“Scott Free Productions’ Ridley Scott and Red Lamp Films’ Sylvia Wilczynski and writer-director Kim Mordaunt are working on the adaptation of Finnish novel Monster Nanny, an action adventure about children whose nanny is a hairy, dusty non-talkative monster. Animal Logic Entertainment’s Zareh Nalbandian is also involved in the project which is intended to be an Australian-UK co-production.”

Read the full article here.

The novel’s English-language edition has received great reviews in the media, among others in Booklist:

“The first in a duology, Tuutikki’s book won the Arvid Lydecken prize in Finland and will have wide appeal among young readers. Within its pages, children outsmart adults, sense the vulnerable emotions of the monsters, and come to depend upon themselves and new friends. Loose-lined ink illustrations add extra humor to this imaginative fantasy, and plentiful dialogue makes it prime for reading aloud.”
— Booklist

Request reading materials here!

Rights sold: Monster Nanny
Orig. publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography

2026, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Children of Spooky Theater and the Talking Cabinet

Tuutikki Tolonen

2025, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Marsu and the Art of Floating Like a Water Lily

Tuutikki Tolonen

2024, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

The Secret Ones

Tuutikki Tolonen

2022, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Tuutikki Tolonen

2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen

2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Tuutikki Tolonen

2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen

2015, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen

Related news

05.02.2026

Runeberg prize winners + other awards!

11.11.2025

Two of our wonderful titles nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize!

22.10.2025

Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

22.10.2025

The Secret Ones is a White Ravens 2025!

08.05.2025

Chinese rights renewed for MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen!

05.02.2025

THE SECRET ONES sold to Poland

02.09.2024

Slovakian rights to MONSTER ROUTE acquired by Arkus!

10.05.2024

THE SECRET ONES sold to Czechia!

02.05.2023

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

28.04.2023

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS picked as book prize for German reading competition

01.03.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

14.02.2023

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

12.01.2023

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

11.07.2022

Croatian rights pre-empted for MONSTER NANNY – 34 territories sold!

07.07.2022

Greek Rights for Monster Nanny sold!

26.04.2022

Three new Children’s deals!

20.04.2022

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS acquired in Hungary!

01.04.2022

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW now sold to Estonia pre-publication!

02.02.2022

Dutch audio rights for MONSTER NANNY trilogy sold!

01.02.2022

Czech rights sold for AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR!

Recent children’s book deals & reviews: monsters, virtual realities and nonfiction

Posted on 03.05.201813.06.2018

Following Bologna Book Fair, year’s main event of children’s books’ rights, we’re very glad to announce new deals for our fantastic children’s books.

In Russia, the Monster Nanny series by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen has been sold to Rosman at auction. Rosman is one of the biggest Russian publishers, whose list includes for example J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, and many more. Monster Nanny, “the monstrous Mary Poppins”, is a universally charming award-winning story, which is to be developed into a Hollywood feature film by Scott Free Productions and published in 22 languages.

Request reading materials for Monster Nanny here!

Another Russian deal was struck for What Is the Night and What Is Water, the bedtime books of fictional and factual stories for information-hungry kids and adults. KompasGuide, the Moscow-based publishing house founded in 2008, whose authors include names such as Michael Ende and Christine Nöstlinger, acquired the rights to both of the children’s nonfiction books.

“We do hope our Russian audience will enjoy and adore the aesthetics of these books and like the illustrations of the magnificent Finnish artists. We are really proud to start our collaboration with these titles,” said Igor Grizhuk, Foreign Rights Manager of KompasGuide Publishing House.

Request reading materials for What Is the Night & What Is Water here!

Another hot title in Bologna from our YA list was Beta, the first book in the Sensored Reality trilogy by Aki Parhamaa and Anders Vacklin. See here for a trailer video for the book (with over 22,000 views!):

The novel has also received praising reviews from literature bloggers:

“Quite an excellent start for a trilogy! A compelling story, a good plot, an imaginative and credible milieu, well-described places and events and well-written characters carry the story smoothly and naturally.” – Teatterinna blog

“The book stands out in the Finnish dystopia book scene, I’m eagerly looking forward to the next part in the series.” –Literature Is Pink blog

Request reading materials for Beta here!

At the Bologna Book Fair, Elina Ahlbäck was also interviewed for the magazine Publishers Weekly Bologna Show Daily, and the piece was published under the title “Can Finnish Children’s Literature Become a Worldwide Phenomenon?”: click the link to read the article on pages 24-26. (The answer, by the way, is yes!)

Rights sold: Monster Nanny
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
RUSSIA, Rosman
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

Right sold: Night
Orig. publisher: FINLAND, Myllylahti
CHINA, CITIC Press
RUSSIA, KompasGuide

Rights sold: Water
Orig. publisher: FINLAND, Myllylahti
RUSSIA, KompasGuide

Rights sold: Beta
Orig. publisher: FINLAND, Tammi

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

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

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About author

Satu Kontinen

Satu Kontinen is a graphic designer and illustrator obsessed with flowers. She is known for her detailed ink works as well as creating quirky creatures and imaginary worlds that spark the imagination of kids and adults alike. She has been awarded for designing and illustrating one of the most beautiful books/book covers in Finland (_Vuoden kaunein kirja_ by the Finnish Book Art Committee) in 2008, 2015, 2016 and in 2018. In 2004 she was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize and in 2017 she was one of the top 10 finalists in the prestigious Rudolf Koivu illustration awards. In 2020 she was given a Merit Award in the Three x Three International Illustration Awards.

In her free time Satu enjoys designing floral fabrics and writing children's and YA fiction in secrecy. Maybe some day she will show them to a publisher.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Ahlback Agency December Newsletter

Posted on 19.12.201723.02.2018

Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!

“I rather want to be invited to Little Mouse’s Christmas.” – The Times

2017 has been a special year, with Finland celebrating its centenary of independence this month, and we reflect on a fruitful year of bringing Finnish literature to readers, both young and old, around the world.

Forthcoming in 2018

FINDING SISU by Katja Pantzar – Hodder (UK, March 2018);
US title: THE FINNISH WAY: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness through the Power of Sisu – TarcherPerigee (US, June 2018)*“Anyone who enjoyed reading about hygge will surely embrace the simple and life-changing practices that Katja describes…” – Marian Lizzi, Editor-in-Chief, TarcherPerigee
*cover & title subject to change
ONEIRON by Laura Lindstedt – Oneworld Publications (WE, March 2018)
“A visionary book.” – Marie Claire Italia
THE NIGHTINGALE MURDER by Leena Lehtolainen (Maria Kallio series Book 9) – Amazon Crossing (US, March 2018)

Published in 2017

THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO by Jussi Valtonen – Oneworld Publications (UK, November 2017)
“Classy and engrossing drama.” – Daily Mail

ESCAPE FROM SUNSET GROVE by Minna Lindgren – Pan Macmillan (UK, August 2017)
“A Finnish Miss Marple.” – Independent

BELOW THE SURFACE (Maria Kallio series Book 8) by Leena Lehtolainen – Amazon Crossing (US, November 2017)
“Lehtolainen’s crime series has reached cult status already.” – Bunte, Germany
CRUEL IS THE NIGHT by Karo Hämäläinen – Soho Press (US, April 2017)
“This English-language debut by a prize-winning Finnish author has a great hook . . . [for] readers who enjoy books like L.S. Hilton’s Maestra and Caroline Kepnes’s You, in which the game is the goal.” – Library Journal
NAONDEL by Maria Turtschaninoff (Book 2 in the Red Abbey Chronicles) + MARESI paperback ed – Pushkin Press (UK, January-April 2017)
“Will stay with the reader long after the book is closed.” The Guardian, on Naondel
MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen – Houghton Mifflin (US, November 2017)
“Imaginative fantasy, and plentiful dialogue makes it prime for reading aloud.” — Booklist
AS RED AS BLOOD by Salla Simukka – Crown/PRH (US, January 2017)
“Limned in stark red, white, and black, this cold, delicate snowflake of a tale sparkles with icy magic.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
LITTLE MOUSE’S CHRISTMAS by Riikka Jäntti – Scribble/Scribe Publications (WE, October 2017)
“Beautifully illustrated … put together with enormous charm.” – The Times

AWARDS

PROMETHEUS AWARD 2017 – Johanna Sinisalo for The Core of the Sun
LUKUVARKAUS AWARD 2017, FINLAND – Salla Simukka for Sisterland

NOMINATIONS

INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2018 – Minna Lindren for Escape from Sunset Grove
CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2017 – Maria Turtschaninoff for Maresi
ASTRID LINDGREN AWARD 2017 – Maria Turtschaninoff for Maresi
NORDIC COUNCIL LITERATURE PRIZE 2017 – Laura Lindstedt for Oneiron

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!

About author

Jussi Valtonen

Jussi Valtonen (1974) is an author and psychologist from Helsinki. He has studied neuropsychology in the United States and screenwriting in the UK, and has also worked as a science reporter. He has written three novels and a short story collection.

Carried by Wings (Siipien kantamat, Tammi 2007) was given second place in Bonnier’s novel competition, and received a warm reception from both critics and bloggers. In 2014 Valtonen was awarded the Finlandia Prize, the country’s highest-profile literary award, for They Know Not What They Do (He eivät tiedä mitä tekevät, Tammi 2014).

About author

Karo Hämäläinen

Karo Hämäläinen (b. 1976) has two passions: literature and the stock market, and has a 15-year background as an economics reporter. He works as the managing editor managing editor of Parnasso, Finland’s best-known literary publication. Hämäläinen’s novel The Buyout was shortlisted for the Savonia Prize in 2011 and received the Tampere Literary Prize in 2012.

Hämäläinen has studied both in the humanities and in economics. Following stints in Helsinki, Munich and Berlin, he now lives in Tampere, Finland. He is a popular lecturer and guest commentator, and has had his own radio show. In his professional work, he uses Finnish, English, German and Swedish. In his spare time, Hämäläinen likes reading and running; his record marathon time set in 2010 is 3:04:04.

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About author

Katja Pantzar

Katja Pantzar – Katja Pantzar is a Helsinki-based writer and journalist who swims in the Baltic Sea year round. Raised in Canada, with stints in New Zealand and England, she is the author of The Finnish Way (Penguin Random House/2018), a bestselling non-fiction book about Nordic well-being, winter swimming and sisu (resilience) that has been translated into 24 languages. Her second book on sisu, Everyday Sisu: Tapping into Finnish Fortitude for a Happier, More Resilient Life (Penguin Random House/2022) explores through expert interviews and research-based information how we can better support our mental and physical health while taking care of each other and our planet. Everyday Sisu has also been published in Japanese, Thai, and Indonesian. Pantzar’s work has been widely covered around the world in media ranging from Le Figaro, Le Monde, and El Paísto Vogue the Washington Post and the New York Review of Books. . She is also the author of three mini-guides to the Finnish capital, including 100 things to do in Helsinki (Siltala/2024).

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About author

Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt (b. 1976) became a critical darling with her adoption-themed debut novel Scissors (Sakset, Teos 2007), which earned her a nomination for the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most prestigious literary honour. Lindstedt’s second novel Oneiron (Teos 2015), a work of speculative fiction that takes place in the mysterious moments that follow one’s death, earned her the coveted Finlandia Prize of 2015 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2017. Lindstedt’s success has continued with My Friend Natalia (Teos 2019) which has earned critical acclaim and has been sold to 12 territories. Together with author Sinikka Vuola, she has authored 101 tapaa tappaa aviomies (101 Ways to Kill Your Husband, Siltala 2022) which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2024.

She is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on French author Nathalie Sarraute.

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About author

Leena Lehtolainen

Leena Lehtolainen is the top female crime author in Finland: her new titles always head straight to #1 on the Finnish bestseller lists.

Lehtolainen created her successful protagonist, detective Maria Kallio, in 1993. Having already featured in 16 novels and a complete TV series, a new Maria Kallio TV reboot series was launched in Fall 2021 on C More. Lehtolainen’s novels have been translated into 30 languages and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

And just like the events in Bodyguard, a that takes the heroine Hilja Ilveskero all around Europe, Lehtolainen’s own work takes her to book festivals, exhibitions and other events across the globe.

Leena Lehtolainen has also published outside the crime genre; her book The Charm of Figure Skating was voted sports book of the year 2010 in Finland, and A Life in Six Scenes showed her return to literary fiction.

The Crossing of the Green Dragon is her first title for YA audiences.

In her free time, Lehtolainen enjoys all kinds of music and follows lynx trails in the forests – just like Maria Kallio.

Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala

About author

Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

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About author

Minna Lindgren

Minna Lindgren (b. 1963) is a freelance journalist and columnist known for her whimsical writing style and fearless approach to topics as strange as opera and death. In addition to novels, she has authored nonfiction books on classical music. In 2009, Lindgren won the Bonnier Journalism Prize for her article entitled “Father’s Death” (“Isän kuolema”).

Lindgren is best known for the Sunset Grove trilogy, which has been sold to 18 territories, and the final part, The End of Sunset Grove, was nominated for the International Dublin Literature Award in 2019. She has also written four standalone novels and a non-fiction book about the history of opera.

Minna Lindgren’s books have been critical and commercial successes, in Finland and internationally.

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About author

Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in over 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

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.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Monster Nanny now sold in 21 territories!

Posted on 01.08.201701.11.2017

Hello August, and hello Vietnamese Monster Nanny!

We are delighted that Tuutikki Tolonen’s charming middle-grade bestseller has been acquired by Nha Nam Publishing! The Hanoi-based publisher counts the likes of Jay Asher, John Boyne, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Walliams on its list of upmarket children’s literature.

“Monster Nanny has added another unforgettable nanny to the army of nannies all around the world, following the famous predecessors like Mary Poppins and Mrs Doubtfire. This time, however, the story is even better with a blend of realism and (a lot of) fantasy. It’s odd and funny enough to keep the young readers’ attention and enthusiasm for reading, but familiar enough not to slip out of their hearts without leaving some warmth.”
– Tran Le Thuy Linh, Editor, Nha Nam Publishers, Vietnam

Monster Nanny, the first volume of Tuutikki Tolonen’s bestselling duology about three children who get a monstrous babysitter for the summer, has been sold to 21 territories to date, with a Hollywood adaptation by Scott Free Productions in development.

FINLAND, Tammi (Original publisher)
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, Šahinpašić
BRAZIL, DarkSide Books (two-book-deal)
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Robert Laffont (two-book deal)
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag (two-book deal)
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon (two-book deal)
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
THE NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff (two-book deal)
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk (two-book deal)
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga (two-book deal)
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren (two-book deal)
TURKEY, SEV Redhouse Kidz
VIETNAM, Nha Nam
UNITED STATES, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (WE)
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

The Agency celebrates its 8th anniversary with 3 new deals and great reviews

Posted on 09.06.201722.06.2017

Elina Ahlback Literary Agency celebrates its 8th anniversary today
Since 2009 we have read hundreds of books, sold translation rights to 56 different languages and traveled the world from Los Angeles to Shanghai. We wish to thank everyone who has collaborated with us along the way, and raise a toast to many good years to come. On our birthday we’re glad to announce three milestone-marking deals:

20^th deal for the baby-sitting monsters
Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen’s middle-grade duology Monster Nanny & Monster Route has now been sold to DarkSide Books; Brazilian Portuguese is the 20^th language these lovely books will be available in!

10^th deal for two friends in wonderland
Chinese rights of Salla Simukka’s Sisterland, illustrated by Saku Heinänen, have been sold to Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House. Editor Ran Chang was very glad about the acquisition: “We can’t emphasize how popular Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Secret Garden are in China, and we believe so will Sisterland be! No wonder why Salla Simukka is internationally recognized since she is such a wonderful story-teller.”

1^st deal for a group of extraordinary creatures
Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House has also bought the Chinese rights to Pasi Pitkänen’s brand new picture book The Island of Lost Animals. “The Island of Lost Animals is a wonderful creation both in terms of the texts and the illustrations. It is such an engaging story to find out the terrifying monster becomes a real hero in the end, and to enjoy the rich and vigorous illustrations of many animal characters. Kids in China will love it!” said Ran Chang.

…and Maresi receives great reviews again
“A magnificent novel offering beautiful, contemplative writing, fascinating mythology and magic, deep characters and a beautiful message of hope. A very beautiful discovery!” says the expert committee of Montreuil Children’s Book Fair, and places Maria Turtschaninoff’s Maresi – now sold in 21 territories – in their top 3 books of May.

Don’t forget to get in touch with us to request reading materials!

About author

Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

Read more Author's page

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Deals round-up: monsters, goddesses, and rave reviews

Posted on 01.06.201716.06.2017

Summer is starting and we’ve had an exciting spring also in the children’s and young adults’ book front with many deals and good reviews. See below for the exciting news, and don’t forget to get in touch with us for reading materials!

Monster Nanny sold to Turkey
SEV Redhouse Kidz has acquired the Turkish rights to our middle-grade hit: “Monster Nanny is one of the books that draw the reader instantly into its unordinary world where some children are looked after by reluctant monster nannies. There is a lot of humour that makes you smile and lots of moments – like Monster Nanny and Mimi’s hugs! – that touch your heart. Such emotions in such a rich and well-structured text filled with great adventure…” said editor Gökçe Ateş Aytuğ on acquisition. The second book in the series, Monster Route, was also just published in France!

Freya published in the U.S. and sold to Poland
Matthew Laurence’s Freya, a YA adventure starring the Norse goddess Freya fighting her enemies in the modern world, was published by Macmillan to great reviews: “Move over, Percy Jackson, there’s a new girl in town,” wrote Booklist. After Bologna Book Fair the novel’s Polish rights were snapped by the renowned YA publisher Jaguar.

Maresi’s follow-up Naondel sold to Estonia
Varrak, Maria Turtschaninoff’s Estonian publisher has acquired the rights to Naondel, the prequel of the “Finnish feminist fantasy”Maresi. The UK edition of Naondel has received nice reviews in the press: “A prequel that introduces the founding sisters of the all-female Red Abbey… their interwoven stories told with unflinching clarity, rise to a vengeful climax with the glow of the red moon, and will stay with the reader long after the book is closed,” wrote Guardian.

Arabic rights of Sisterland sold to Arab Scientific Publishers
Following the Sharjah Book Fair in the UAE we closed a deal for the Arabic rights of Salla Simukka’s middle-grade novelSisterland. This marks the ninth deal for the novel, which will be published later this year in English by Random House US.

Bookwitch published in Finland
The YA duology Bookwitch/Witchbook by Anne Leinonen belonged to one of our most requested titles at the Bologna Book Fair. The combination of love, real life teenager issues and magic in a parallel city of Helsinki hasn’t left the reviewers cold: “Bookwitch feels like a true literary celebration. […] Leinonen nicely weaves the literary classics into the story, playing with references to familiar stories and books.” (Luetaanko tämä blog)

Little Brother’s Magnificent Expedition gathers great reviews
Leena Parkkinen and Jussi Karjalainen’s collaboration children’s novel finds its readers in Finland. “Parkkinen’s language is rich and entertaining, the characters deliciously built. Jussi Karjalainen’s illustrations capture the exciting atmosphere of the story very nicely,” writes Lastut blog.

About author

Anne Leinonen

Anne Leinonen (b.1973) is a multiple-award winning, key author, tutor and editor of Finnish science fiction and fantasy. Her most recent publication is the first volume of a YA urban fantasy duology, Bookwitch (Kirjanoita), which will be followed by Witchbook (Noitakirja) in 2018.

Leinonen’s short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies, earning her several Atorox awards (voted for by fans). Her science fiction novels, Viivamaalari and Ilottomien ihmisten kylä were published to positive reviews, as well as a trilogy, Routasisarukset, written in collaboration with Eija Lappalainen, In addition to writing YA and adult fiction, she has now started to work on audio and television dramas.

Anne Leinonen moves fluidly between science fiction and fantasy. Her texts deal with themes of otherness and unfamiliarity, as well as conflicts between the community and the individual. Nature plays an important part in her work, as a vehicle for the story, the stage of action and on a symbolic level. Leinonen’s prose is taut, with no superficial descriptions. Instead, she takes her readers right in to the middle of events and the lives of her characters. Her use of language shows talent and uniqueness, favouring experimentation with different styles and often works on several pieces at the same time. She is especially renowned for her collaborations with other writers.

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About author

Jussi Karjalainen

Jussi Karjalainen is a graphic designer, illustrator and co-founder of Napa Books. His distinctive artwork has featured widely across books, music and print media, and been exhibited at showrooms and galleries.

About author

Leena Parkkinen

Leena Parkkinen has authored three prize-winning adults’ novels set in 20th century Europe, often about people living at the margins society. Her skillful use of detail is often imbued with an element of suspense. She has also written two children’s story books.

Parkkinen has received numerous literary awards, such as Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize for the best debut (2009), Academic Bookshop’s Bestselling Debut Prize (2009), Laila Hirvisaari Award (2010) and the Kalevi Jäntti Prize (2013), in addition to being nominated for the Tulenkantaja Export Prize 2017. Her works have been translated into seven languages to date.

About author

Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

Read more Author's page

About author

Matthew Laurence

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Children’s books: spring deals and reviews round-up

Posted on 04.05.201701.06.2017

Monster Nanny, our prize-winning adventure story for middle-grade readers written by Tuutikki Tolonen, has conquered yet another country: Czech rights were acquired by Portál.

This deal marks the 18th sold territory for the book, telling the story of three kids who get a monstrous babysitter for the summer, and which has a Hollywood adaptation in development by Scott Free Productions.

Leena Parkkinen and Jussi Karjalainen’s newest collaboration, a story book Little Brother’s Marvellous Expedition has just been published in Finland. Kainuun Sanomat newspaper gave the original edition a lovely review:

“A good children’s book does not underestimate the child. A good children’s book transports the reader to strange lands and to the solemn logic of child’s play. Adults also will enjoy reading such a book. […] Little Brother’s Magnificent Expedition is exactly that.”

Last month another one of our picture books was published in Australia and the UK: Little Mouse Helps Out by Riikka Jäntti is now available in English. The third book in the series, Little Mouse’s Christmas will be published in fall 2017 in the UK and Australia.

“Both the story and the illustrations are lovely, and there is so much to discuss with children about helping out and taking turns that I can see this becoming a firm favourite for children at storytime,” wrote the Australian magazine Eye.

Get in touch with us for reading materials for Monster Nanny, Little Brother’s Marvellous Expedition, or Little Mouse Helps Out.

Rights sold, Little Mouse series:
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
AUSTRALIA, Scribble/Scribe
CHINA, Beijing Yuntu Tech
DENMARK, ABC Forlag
NEW ZEALAND, Scribe/Scribble
UK, Scribe/Scribble

Rights sold, Monster Nanny:
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, Šahinpašić
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC, Portál
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont (two-book deal)
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag (two-book deal)
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon (two-book deal)
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
THE NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff (two-book deal)
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk (two-book deal)
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga (two-book deal)
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren (two-book deal)
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Leena Parkkinen

Leena Parkkinen has authored three prize-winning adults’ novels set in 20th century Europe, often about people living at the margins society. Her skillful use of detail is often imbued with an element of suspense. She has also written two children’s story books.

Parkkinen has received numerous literary awards, such as Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize for the best debut (2009), Academic Bookshop’s Bestselling Debut Prize (2009), Laila Hirvisaari Award (2010) and the Kalevi Jäntti Prize (2013), in addition to being nominated for the Tulenkantaja Export Prize 2017. Her works have been translated into seven languages to date.

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

About author

Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in over 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Monster Nanny and Maresi deals follow Bologna Book Fair

Posted on 12.04.201716.05.2017

To kick off the Bologna Book Fair week, Salani of Mauri Spagnol Group pre-empted Italian rights to Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen’s middle-grade adventure Monster Nanny.

“We are very proud to be the publisher of this clever, imaginative, crazy novel. We know that Monster Nanny will be the perfect match for our readership!” said Francesca Manzoni from Salani.

Monster Nanny, first part of a duology telling the story of three kids who get a monstrous babysitter for the summer, has been sold to 17 territories to date and there’s a Hollywood adaptation in development by Scott Free Productions.

Another deal was struck with the Polish publisher Debit of Wydawnictwo Sonia Draga. Debit bought the rights to Maria Turtschaninoff’s YA fantasy Maresi and The Red Abbey Chronicles.The deal is Maresi’s 21st, and the anticipation grows for the film adaptation too!

“What a novel! There is truth in this prose that surpasses the limits of the genre. And the author seems to have access to some ancient Nordic formula for telling a story in the most engaging way possible,” said Joanna Walczak, publishing director of Debit, on Maresi.

Ask us for English reading materials for Monster Nanny or Maresi and The Red Abbey Chronicles.

Monster Nanny: Rights sold
FINLAND, Tammi (Orig.)
BOSNIA, Šahinpašić
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
ITALY, Salani/Mauri Spagnol
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
UNITED STATES, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free

Maresi: Rights sold
FINLAND, S&S (Orig.)
FINLAND, Förlaget (Orig.)
BELGIUM, Clavis
BRAZIL, Morro Branco
CANADA (French), Editions de la Bagnole
CHINESE, Shanghai 99
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Varrak
FINLAND, Tammi
FRANCE, Editions Rageot
GERMANY, Heyne
HUNGARY, Scolar Kiado
ITALY, Atmosphere Libri
LATVIA, Petergailis
NETHERLANDS, Clavis
NORWAY, Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND, Debit/Sonia Draga
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
WORLD SPANISH, Alfaguara
SWEDEN, Berghs
TURKEY, Altin Kitaplar
UK, Pushkin Press
U.S., Abrams
FILM RIGHTS, Film 4

About author

Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Monster Nanny charms readers and critics

Posted on 09.02.201722.02.2017

The first foreign editions of Tuutikki Tolonen’s charming middle-grade hit Monster Nanny have been published to warm reviews. Elle magazine in France reviewed the French edition of the novel, Le Monstre nounou:

“While very funny, her novel also makes us think about the essence of monstrosity, of fear and perhaps death. It goes without saying that we are eagerly expecting book 2, Monster Route, and that it will be the perfect opportunity to read book 1 all over again! Some enthusiastic readers have already wagered that if in ten years Monster Nanny is not a classic, then it will mean that monsters do not exist.”

Also the French bloggers have been enthusiastic about the classic potential of the book:

“This novel is a bit crazy, surrealistic but also tender and endearing. It could become a real classic for the new generation.” – Parfums de Livres blog, France

“I loved this fantastic tale, which introduces such a cute hairy monster! I loved the drawings and the way the author tells us the story at once with a child’s eyes but at the same time promoting great values such as bravery, family ties or solidarity.” – Alice Neverland blog, France

In Hungary, the translation of Monster Nanny (Mumusdadus színre lép) got selected for the TOP50 children’s books in 2016 by a prestigious committee at the Institute of Hungarian Children’s Literature.

2017 will also see publications of the U.S. edition by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the Dutch version by Luitingh-Sijthoff, and the Swedish edition by Rabén & Sjögren. We’re excited!

Click here to receive the English manuscript of the novel!

Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, Šahinpašić
CHINA, Beijing Children’s Publishing House
ESTONIA, Tiritamm
FRANCE, Editions Robert Laffont
GERMANY, Carl Hanser Verlag
HUNGARY, Tessloff Babilon
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
THE NETHERLANDS, Luitingh-Sijthoff
NORWAY, Gyldendal Norsk
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
SLOVENIA, Mladinska knjiga
SPAIN (Spanish), La Galera
SPAIN (Catalan), La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
WORLD ENGLISH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
FILM RIGHTS, Scott Free Productions

About author

Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

Read more Author's page

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."

Tuutikki was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Film deals and glowing reviews: an amazing year for Tammi authors Salla Simukka, Tuutikki Tolonen, Max Seeck & more

Posted on 29.11.201620.12.2016

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.576730792528298.1073741833.387574468110599&type=1&l=049da64678

This year has been extremely exciting for Tammi Publishers, one of the leading publishers in Finland, and home to best-selling Finnish authors and international successes. We are delighted to share with you a brief overview of the exciting things that have been happening for Tammi authors, which Elina Ahlback Literary Agency is proud to represent.

Max Seeck: The Angels of Hammurabi
Newcomer Max Seeck has blown everyone away with his debut novel The Angels of Hammurabi. The fast-paced, dark thriller set in Finland and Croatia has been praised by critics and readers in Finland, as the next star in Nordic Noir, with rights sold in Germany to Blanvalet/Random House and Estonia to Pegasus. Seeck is writing a sequel, due to be published in August 2017.

Salla Simukka: The Snow White Trilogy and Sisterland
Simukka’s incredible success of As Red as Blood, As White as Snow, and As Black as Ebony with 52 territories sold has continued this year with some major news: the series will be relaunched in the US by Random House, starting in 2017, and is set for film treatment in Hollywood with Zero Gravity Management. In addition, Tammi released Simukka’s first middle-grade novel, Sisterland, this autumn. World English rights sold to Random House US, and foreign rights have sold in France, Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia.

Tuutikki Tolonen: Monster Nanny
This monstrous family story has been capturing the hearts of children and adults alike: foreign rights to Monster Nanny (Tammi 2015) have been sold to 15 territories to date, with film rights optioned by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions (The Martian, Gladiator). The second volume, Monster Route was published in Finland this October. These monsters will be sticking around, no doubt! Read more about the film news here.

Maria Turtschaninoff: The Red Abbey Chronicles
Finlandia prize-winner Maresi has charmed readers around the world with its feminist fairytale. It has been hailed both contemporary and timeless – read the review in The Guardian. Turtschaninoff’s Maresi and its prequel, Naondel have sold in to 17 languages – its haunting and powerful tale of the The Red Abbey Chronicles resonating powerfully with today’s society. News about the film rights being optioned by Film4 just broke and is causing a lot of excitement in the press, including Variety, The Guardian, Women and Hollywood blog.

Marko Hautala: The Whispering Girl
Dubbed ‘Finland’s Stephen King’, award-winning Hautala produced a chilling new thriller, The Whispering Girl, that was published in August to great reviews and has sold in the Czech Republic and Estonia. Hautala’s previous novel, Granny Hatchet (2014) is bringing chills to readers in English, Czech and German. Read a five-star blog review here.

Please contact the agency for further information and materials