CHATTY ELIAS
Puhelias Elias, Tammi 2012
SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINLANDIA JUNIOR AWARD 2012
SHORTLISTED FOR THE TOWER OF BABEL PRIZE (ESTONIA) 2013 FOR THE BEST TRANSLATED CHILDREN'S BOOK
Elias, who has just started school, is usually chatty but nowadays he’s out of sorts and out of words. Along with his sister, he has two homes: one with dad and another with mum. They share dad’s home with Marita, who has a little girl of her own. Figuring out the new family dynamics is tough and even school seems strange to begin with. Elias finds himself missing his best friend Priit, who lives so far away that Elias would have to cross the sea to visit him.
Chatty Elias deals with themes including parents splitting up and travelling between new families, from a young boy’s point of view. Maijala’s intricate illustrations seamlessly add to Kummu’s story. Chatty Elias will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find the right words or missed a friend, in other words: all of us.
PRATSAMME ELIAS translated by Janina Orlov. Läsrörelsen. Sweden 2019
JUTUKAS ELIAS translated by Ingrid Maasik. Fiora Publishing. Estonia 2013
ELIAS AND THE PRACTICE KISS
Puhelias Elias, Harjoituspusuja, Tammi 2015
A sweet, insightful story about a boy’s first kiss.
Jam-packed full of gentle humour, this story about Elias’ first crush is for everyone who was terrified of their first kiss. It’s also a book about new beginnings for modern families. Marika Maijala’s summery illustrations bring the book to life.
It’s the first day of the summer holidays, and the local circus school is hosting a party. Elias and his mum are looking forward to seeing Inkeri’s ensemble performance in the school auditorium. Suddenly the auditorium is full of girls in pink and black leotards, wearing tails and bunny ears. Elias turns away with a funny feeling in his tummy. Especially because one of the girls is Livia.
ELIAS AND THE WEDDING WALTZ
Puhelias Elias, Häätanssit, Tammi 2019
NOMINATED FOR THE BOTHNIA PRIZE 2019
The third and final book in the Elias trilogy.
Home feels too full now that Mum’s girlfriend Inari and her daughter have moved in. Mum even talks about marrying Inari. But Elias simply won’t let that happen; it would ruin everything. Thankfully everything at Dad’s is still the same. There’s just the right number of people, and Elias can be sure he’ll find his comic where he left it there.