Seija Haapakoski presents the survey of favourite books that SNI and the leading Finnish newspaper, Helsingin sanomat, undertook last spring. The newspaper’s readers were asked to name their favourite children’s and young adult books and explain the reasons behind their choices. Books could be nominated within three categories: Finnish books, translated books, and picturebooks. Both classics and books from the 21st century made it onto the lists and, since female respondents were so active, girl’s books were very well represented. The number one favourite Finnish book was Aili Somersalo’s fairy tale novel Mestaritontun seikkailut published already in 1919. Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking was found at the top of the list of translated books, and the most popular picturebooks were those of Tove Jansson. Haapakoski concludes that people’s favourite books often seem to be connected with a significant personal memory, such as being the first book of one’s own, the book that taught one to read or a book that brought comfort in moments of distress.

Leena Laakso takes a closer look at a classic Finnish girl’s book, Anni Swan’s Iris rukasta (1916). Laakso examines the book and comments on the illustrations, as well as on the three different endings. Laakso declares that this is an exceptional Cinderella story in which the protagonist retains her lively personality and her character flaws despite her upbringing. Iris is more closely related to Pippi Longstocking than to the typical heroines of classical girl’s fiction, such as Montgomery’s Anne and Coolidge’s Katy.

Päivi Heikkilä-Halttunen presents her edited work Matka mielikuvitukseen - Lasten- ja nuortenkirjailijat kertovat teostensa taustoista (Tammi). This book is based on a series of lectures held in the autumn of 2003 and contains authors’ presentations of the background to their literary works for children and young adults. The selection of writers spans over many generations. The oldest began writing in the 1930s and the youngest in the 1980s and 1990s. The majority of writers, however, began their careers as writers in the 1970s.

Nina Into’s article explores the role of illustrations in picturebook versions of fairy tales. Into wonders whether fairy tales need the support of pictures and if so, then why? She ponders on whether pictures are especially important for children and what constitutes good fairy tale illustration. Into concludes e.g. that understanding pictures is just as complicated as understanding texts, and that you have to learn how to interpret both texts and pictures. Illustrators of fairy tales work under pressure since their pictures have to meet aesthetic as well as pedagogical demands. Moreover, especially older fairy tales are part of a tradition that illustrators have to take into consideration.

Sirke Happonen discusses the status of pictures and words in picturebook research. She concludes, for instance, that both children’s literature researchers and art historians have taken an interest in picturebooks, but progress within the field is still slower than in e.g. the study of comics. An important insight in picturebook research is the notion that you have to learn how to read pictures. Happonen, however, interrogates the concept of reading pictures, since it presupposes that there is a correct way of reading images. The double address of picturebooks complicates matters further, since adults and children in general read these books together. Narratological approaches to picturebooks are considered rewarding, but Happonen is disturbed by the lack of interest in personal detail and in the appreciation of the aesthetic experience which appear in narratological picturebook research.

Jarna Piippo presents Francesca Blockeeli’s work Literatura Juvenil Portuguesa Contemporânea: Identidade e Alteridade, which deals with 20th century Portuguese children’s literature. Piippo concludes that this is a ground-breaking study that gives a good over-view of e.g. the production of Portuguese children’s literature, its development, themes and changes in readership. Blockeel shows that Portuguese children’s literature is ethnocentric and constructs a myth of a great past and a united nation ignoring the multicultural nature of Portuguese society and the country’s role in an integrated Europe.

The news section tells us e.g. that Jukka Laajarinne’s and Martti Ruokonen’s book Mummon kone (WSOY) has won the Nordic picturebook competition arranged by four publishers. In Finland, Suna Vuori’s and Katri Kirkkopelto’s Hirveää, parkaisi hirviö (WSOY) was awarded a shared first prize.
 

Translation: Maria Lassén-Seger