Finland/Finnish Language and Culture Kit
Aarteen Etsintäã. Jansson, Tove. Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 9789512881550.
Moomin and the Great Treasure Hunt, book with CD. When Moomintroll finds a mysterious map in the attic of the Moominhouse, he and his friends follow it on a treasure hunt, which takes them to the furthest corners of Moominvalley, and beyond.
Amy. Lukkarined, Ritva. Vaino, Pirkko, Ill. Clavis Publishing Inc., 2009 ISBN: 9781605370583.
Five-year-old Amy loves to play in the snow around her house, and one cold day she finds an injured mallard in the garden. Amy decides to take care of it, calling it Lucky. They quickly become good friends, and Lucky is even invited as a guest to Christmas dinner. Over time the mallard gets better, and although it is difficult, Amy has to set Lucky free so he can return to where he belongs.
The Book About Moomin, Mymble, and Little My. Jansson, Tove. Sort of Books, 2001. ISBN: 9780953522743
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Bringing home a thermos of milk, Moomintroll, who resembles a small, white hippopotamus, meets Mymble, searching for her lost sister, along with
other creatures. Throughout, die-cuts create a spooky, layered effect, offering a tantalizing peek at what’s to come.
The Book of Finnish Elves. Kunnas, Mauri. Finland: Otava Publishing Co. LTD., 1979. ISBN: 9789511162803.
Back in the good old days there dwelt in Finnish households guardian spirits known as elves. Each type of building had its own sort of elf. There were household elves, sauna elves, stable elves, storehouse elves, barn elves and mill elves. When treated with respect, they brought good fortune to home and hearth; but if they took offense, there was no predicting the consequences. Though all held in common the habit of moving about only after nightfall, individual elves were sometimes notorious for their eccentricities.
The Canine Kalevala. Kunnas, Mauri. Finland: Otava Publishing Company LTD., 1992 ISBN: 9789511124429.
Long, long ago, when the world was still young, there dwelt in the far-off land of Kalevala a tribe of wild and woolly dogs. Their neighbor in the gloomy north was a pack
of mean and wicked wolves. Between them lived a small but tough clan of cats. The dogs and wolves vied for sovereignty of the forests, and this often gave rise to some pretty fierce squabbles.
Comet in Moominland. Jansson, Tove. Square Fish Books, 2010. ISBN: 9780312608880.
When Moomintroll learns that a comet will be passing by, he and his friend Sniff travel to the observatory on the Lonely Mountains to consult the professors. Along the way, they have many adventures, but the greatest adventure of all awaits them when they learn that the comet is headed straight for their beloved Moominvalley.
Far North: Vanishing Cultures. Reynolds, Jan. Lee & Low Books, 1992. ISBN: 9781600601422.
It’s springtime in the Arctic, and Sara and Kari are excited about the yearly reindeer roundup. Their people, the Sami, are moving the reindeer herds to mountain pastures for grazing. Family and friends also come together to celebrate the end of the long dark winter.
Finland: A Question and Answer Book. Lemke, Donald B. Capstone, 2006. ISBN: 9780736843553.
Provides an introduction to Finland using a question-and-answer format to discuss land features, government, housing, transportation, industries, education, sports, art forms, holidays, food, and family life. Includes a map and charts.
Lina-Marja’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in Lapland. Alatalo, Jaakko London: Francis Lincoln Limited, 2009 ISBN: 9781845079932.
This is part of the series A Child’s Day, which focuses on the daily lives and experiences of children in countries around the world. We follow the child all through the day: from waking up, through breakfast, going to school, learning, travelling home, playing, and getting ready for bed. This book introduces Iina Marja, who lives in a village in Lapland. Iina-Marja’s day begins with morning lessons.
The Kalevala: Tales of Magic and Adventure. Makinen, Kirsti. Vancouver, Canada: Simply Read Books, 2009 ISBN: 9781897476000.
The national Finnish epic, The Kalevala, is one of the most important works of Finnish literature. It was originally compiled by Elias Lonnröt in the 19th century from ancient oral poetry. Beginning with the world’s creation, it follows the stories of Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero of song and story; his young rival, Joukahainen; and the handsome but arrogant Lemminkäinen. Their quests for love, revenge, truth, and the mysterious Sampo, the ultimate source of prosperity, have thrilled and inspired generations of readers.
Moomin and the Birthday Button. Jansson, Tove. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010. ISBN: 9780374350505.
On his birthday, Moomintroll wakes up full of excitement. It will surely be the most wonderful day. But when his friends all seem to be too busy to help him celebrate, it doesn’t feel wonderful at all—until a happy surprise comes knocking. Kids will be amused to see that even in placid Moominvalley, birthdays can be emotional roller coasters.
Moomin Valley Turns Jungle. Jansson, Tove. Montreal: Enfant, 2010. ISBN: 9781770460973.
A classic comic in an all-new format. A crate filled with tropical seeds washes ashore, and when Moominmamma plants the seeds, a lush rainforest erupts in Moominvalley. When Stinky liberates some exotic animals from the zoo, chaos ensues, and the Moomins are forced to prove once and for all whether or not they’re related to hippopotamuses.
Moomin’s Lift-the-Flap Hide and Seek. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010. ISBN: 9780374350512.
Pre-readers can sharpen hand-eye coordination as they join Moomintroll’s search for that rascal Little My, who has found a very clever hiding place. Along the way, they will meet Moomintroll’s family and many friends. The funny names–from Snufkin to Fillyjonk–beg to be sounded out and repeated again and again.
Moomin’s Winter Follies. Jansson, Tove. Montreal: Enfant, 2010. ISBN: 9781770460980.
Moomin wakes up one morning to find the pond frozen over, and rather than hibernate, the family decides to brave the winter weather. At first, their wintry adventure seems to be going swimmingly, until Mr. Brisk of the Great Outdoors Club takes over and forces everyone to embrace winter sports whether they like it our not.
Moominpappa at Sea. Jansson, Tove. Square Fish Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780312608927.
Leave Moominvalley? Is it possible? Yes, even the Moomin family needs a
change of scenery sometimes, so they’re off to live in a lighthouse on a
tiny island. Here they find space to grow, and to do things they couldn’t in their comfortable, cluttered valley home. As they discover their new home, the family also discovers surprising, and wonderfully funny, new things about themselves.
Muumien aakksomatka. Tuula Korolainen. Helsinki: Tammi, 2009. ISBN: 9789513145095.
Moomintroll’s play school is considered fun as Loruillaan gets to know
the alphabet. The Moomins boat is loaded with the letters and goods about the action-
packed world of travel. Written in Finnish.
Pikku toukka paksulainen. Carle, Eric. Helsinki: Tammi. 2012. ISBN: 9789513168735.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar translated to Finnish.
The Princess Mouse: A Tale of Finland. Shepard, Aaron. Leonid Gore, Ill. New York: Simon and Shuster, 2003. ISBN: 9780689829123.
In Mikko’s family, young men find their sweethearts by cutting down a tree and following where it points. As his father says, “That’s how we’ve done it, and that’s how we always will.” Though Mikko’s brother makes his tree fall how he wants, Mikko’s tree seems to have ideas of its own. So, what is Mikko to do when it sends him into the forest and all he finds there is a mouse?
Sammy and the Mountain King. Topelius, Zacharias. Leo, Veronica, Ill. London: Methuen Children’s Books LTD., 1984. ISBN: 0416506003
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Sammy has been warned never to go near the terrible mountain king, who gobbles up little boys like flies. But Sammy’s curiosity to see the giant for himself leads him into an unforgettable adventure.
Santa Claus and His Elves. Kunnis, Mauri. Harmony Books, 1981. ISBN: 9780517547816.
Children see who reads Santa’s letters, the elves making toys, Santa’s reindeer, Mrs. Claus, and everyone who helps bring presents to children on Christmas Eve
Tales from Moominvalley. Jansson, Tove. Square Fish Books, 2010. ISBN: 9780312625429.
In these nine delightfully funny stories, readers will discover how the Moomin family spend their first Christmas out of hibernation, how they save young Ninny from permanent invisibility, and what happens when Moomintroll catches the last dragon in the world.
This Is Finland. Havukainen, Aino. Toivonen, Sami, Ill. Finland: Otava Publishing Company LTD., 2007. ISBN: 9789511221883.
Even visiting Finland probably won’t give you nearly as intimate a look into what is important to Finns both in terms of where they’ve come from historically and what modern life is about. And it’s hilarious.
This book was awarded the 2007 Finlandia Prize for Children’s Literature.
Tuhat Sanaa. Amery, Heather. Finland: Nemo, 2012. ISBN: 9789522401304.
First thousand Words series gives language learners 1000 words in Finnish along with matching illustrations. This book is a good introduction to the Finnish language.
Tundra Mouse Mountain. Jalonen, Riitta. Louhi, Kristina, Ill. Helsinki: Winged Chariot Press, 2006. ISBN: 9781905341054.
This picture book follows a trip taken by a mother and daughter. On an adventure to the Arctic to fulfill her mother’s childhood promise, Sari soon finds that the inner journey shared with her mom is the most rewarding part of the voyage. Evoking the aura and atmosphere of the majestic Arctic, this tale captures the unique bond between a mother and her daughter.
Who Will Comfort Toffle? Jansson, Tove. Montreal: Enfant. 2003 ISBN: 9781770460171
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Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the timeless, magical tale of the wistful wallflower, Toffle–too shy to speak to anyone and too fearful of the world he is watching from afar. Lonely and sad, Toffle runs away from home and watches the magical cast of Moomin Valley—Mymble, My, Snufkin, the merry whompses and the Fillyjonk—celebrate and enjoy life.