Nora Surojegin

Olwen the baby owl longs to find something she can do in this gorgeous picture book from Finish author/illustrator team Nora Surojegin and Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin, who are also mother and daughter. Her wise mother encourages her to experiment, and she attempts to copy the actions of Hopfoot (AKA, hare), Growlmouth (AKA, bear), and Patterpaw (AKA, squirrel), but finds that she cannot do what they can. Eventually however, with the help of her mother, the despondent little owl discovers that she can do something very special after all: she can fly...

Originally published in Japan in 2009 as ちびフクロウのぼうけん (Chibi Fukurou no Bouken / "Little Owl's Adventure"), and in the author and illustrator's native Finland in 2013 as Pikkupöllö ("Little Owl"), Olwen Finds Her Wings was translated into English in 2021, in this beautiful edition from Edinburgh-based publisher Floris Books. Apparently Japanese publishers were interested in producing a book with Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin's artwork, and as she didn't have a text to go along with the watercolor paintings she had produced, her daughter Nora wrote the accompanying story. I would imagine it was written in Finnish originally, despite being published in that language after the original Japanese edition. In any case, I am certainly glad it has been made available in English!

I greatly enjoyed this duo's subsequent Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas (originally published in 2010), and have been meaning to track this earlier title down ever since. I am happy to have now done so, as I found it immensely sweet, pairing a gentle, heartwarming narrative about a little owl finding her wings with immensely expressive artwork that is just a delight to peruse. I found Olwen's expressions so charming, in almost every scene, and appreciated her sincere desire to do something—to find an arena in which she could shine. As someone who loves wintry vistas, I also greatly appreciated the depiction of the natural world around our strigine heroine. All in all, a wonderful reading experience, one I would recommend to picture book audiences who love owls, who appreciate winter, or who themselves long to join in and get doing, out in the world.… (mehr)

A little elfin man named Otto goes in search of the light of Christmas in this enchanting work of Finnish fantasy fiction for younger children, setting out on an epic journey northward. Along the way he encounters a variety of creatures, from apple-stealing Badger to Kekri, king of the forest. He spends time with the gentle, mouse-like mupples, and their slow-moving, tree-like friends, the hazytales. He witnesses the last dance of the leaf fairies, as winter sets in, is helped by a massive bear, and spends time with the mysterious lontti, a secretive, chameleon-like kind of creature that can disguise itself anywhere. Booming Burl, and his village of trolls, a pack of wolves, a herd of reindeer - these too are friends that Otto makes, before eventually reaching his goal, and meeting Father Yule. But once he gets there, the question remains: what exactly is the Light of Christmas...?

Originally published in Finnish as Untu ja sydäntalven salaisuus, and translated into English by Jill Timbers for the Edinburgh-based Floris Books, Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas is an engaging, heartwarming, beautifully-illustrated fantasy journey, one which touches upon the meaning of Christmas, and the central importance of friendship and good company, during the dark winters experienced by people in the northern part of our world. I was fascinated by the different creatures that Otto encountered, from Kekri - an ancient god in Finnish tradition, Kekri more frequently refers these days to a traditional harvest festival, one occurring around Halloween-time - to the lontti, a name which seems to be a simplified version of the Finnish word 'kameleontti,' meaning chameleon. I appreciated the fact that the eponymous Light of Christmas turned out to be both the friendships Otto had found, and the beautiful Northern Lights, and I loved the fact that Father Yule either transformed into a fox, or was represented by a fox, at the end (not sure which it was). Recommended to anyone looking for beautifully-illustrated fantasy fiction for Christmas. For my part, I hope more from both author Nora Surojegin and illustrator Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin (related, perhaps?) is translated!… (mehr)