Finlandia nominees for children’s and young people’s literature have adventures with porridge and wonder about ants

Six works are competing for the Finlandia prize for children’s and youth literature. The prize amount is 30,000 euros.

Finlandia prize nominees for children's and young people's literature. Board. — These six books are nominated for the Finlandia prize for children’s and young people’s literature.

The Finnish Book Foundation has announced six candidates for this year’s Finlandia Prize for children’s and young people’s literature. This article presents the works and the selection board’s reasoning.

Here are the nominees:

Katja Bargum, illustration by Jenny Lucander: Myrornas rekordbok / Record book of ants (Förlaget / Teos), translated by Veera Antsalo

As the name suggests, the children’s book is about the world of ants. The book answers many amazing questions. It is amazing alone that there are more than 12,000 species of ants in the world.

The jury was particularly attracted by the ant’s humor and the apt examples that make you feel the joy of learning and discovery.

Cover of the Ant Record Book. The picture shows an ant on top of a rosette. — The book gives you a lot of information about ants.

Sofia Chanfreau, illustration Amanda Chanfreau: Giraffes hjärta är ovanligt stort / The Giraffe’s heart is unusually large (Schildts

is a fantasy story about longing and the desire to be loved as one is. The book is about Vega, who lives on Giraffe Island and misses her mother. For comfort, he has a bunch of imaginary animals.

According to the board, fascinating connections emerge between fantasy and reality.

The cover of the Giraffe's heart is unusually large book. A large floating heart on which, as if on an island, there is a city. Octopus and other fish in the water. — The authors of the book are siblings.

Saara Kekäläinen, illustration by Reetta Niemensivu: Valpuri and dangerous morning porridge (Tammi)

Valpuri is a little girl and her enemy is porridge, which her father serves her at the breakfast table. An adventure begins from an everyday routine, the core of which is the battle between Valpur and the porridge.

is the first book in the Valpuri series. The second part has also already appeared.

The selection board was impressed by the dialogue between the image and the word. \”Has porridge ever been described in such a nuanced way\ asks the jury.

The cover of the Valpuri and dangerous morning porridge book. The picture shows a sketch of a girl by the morning porridge. — The Valpuri series has already been continued.

Reetta Niemelä, illustration Katri Kirkkopelto: Black Moon Inn (Children’s Center)

start a new fantasy series. The main character Saimi Salaper and his veterinarian father establish a hospital for wild animals in a mysterious inn. In the book, the themes of nature conservation are mixed with mythology.

Both Niemelä and Kirkkopelto have previously been nominated for the Finlandia prize for children’s and young people’s literature.

In the opinion of the selection board, it renews the tradition of the fairy tale novel. \”Every picture makes you want to linger, but you also have to keep reading the story.\”

The cover of the Black Moon Inn book, it shows a haunted house and in the foreground a child, an insect and a figure with a hat, maybe a rabbit. — Black Moon Inn is the beginning of the series.

Marisha Rasi-Koskinen: Fallen (WSOY)

tells about three young people who are bound together by chance. Young people are looking for a direction for their lives in a world where everything is not what it seems at first.

You can listen to how .

According to the selection board, it is skillfully constructed and its narration is dazzlingly controlled.

Marisha Rasi-Koskinen: Fallen, book cover. — Marisha Rasi-Koskinen has already won Finladia once before.

Ellen Strömberg: Vi ska ju bara Cykla förbi / Let’s just get over it (Schildts

The novel for young adults tells about the last spring of middle school and two besties who live in a small town where almost nothing happens. However, girls are thirsty for adventures and the feeling of being in love. The novel is about friendship, self-definition and seeking boundaries.

In Raad’s opinion, Strömberg portrays the life of teenagers in a believable and funny way. \”The work shows what it feels like to want a huge amount, even though you’re not quite sure what you want.\”

Book cover: Let's just skip it. — The book’s main characters cycle a lot.

Tomorrow, Thursday, the Finlandia nominees for fiction will be announced.

The winners of children’s and youth literature and other Finlandia awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 30. You can watch the award ceremony on Ylen TV1 and Areena from 19:00.

Readers can also vote for their favorite on the Finlandiaprófjot.fi page.