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Etana Editions

I lift the cat, Hija!

I lift the cat, Hija!

19,90 €
19,90 € 19,90 €
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Original work: Snälla Stella, sluta skälla!
Written by: Ted Forsström
Illustrated by: Åsa Lucander
Translated by: Johannes Ekholm
Publication date: March 2023
ISBN: 978-952-7105-93-1
Number of pages: 40 pages
Size: 20 x 22 cm
Recommended age: 3+

Easy Peasy, Hilja! is a 2023 Finlandia Prize nominee.

A father is putting his child to sleep, but the attempt is interrupted time and again as the family dog, Hilja, starts barking madly. Something unexpected happens constantly, and the reader is drawn into Hilja's vivid imagination. If the door opens downstairs or there's a clatter, Hilja is completely convinced that it's grandma coming to bring her turkey, or that squirrels are building a nest in the toaster.

The book's warm tone and unusual blend of familiar everyday life and imaginative antics bring a smile to the face, and the situations can be related to by anyone trying to combine quality family time with life with a pet!

Anyone who has ever tried to put a child to sleep knows how pleasant yet fragile that moment is, and how much patience and determination are required from the adult. A bedtime story can then be the key to a restful night's sleep. Easy Peasy, Hilja! is a book that can be read again and again, night after night.


ABOUT THE BOOK
In Forsström's story, there's a subtle humor, and in Lucander's illustrations, a wealth of detail that brings to mind Sven Nordqvist's popular "Pettson and Findus" book series. The reader can linger over the spreads and constantly discover new details.
– VASABLADET

The result is a comical tale of a failed bedtime ritual that all families with children can relate to. The humor arises from the contrast between the everyday nature of bedtime, the sheer impossibility of Hilja's imagined scenarios, the father's stillness, and Hilja's antics. – Marianna Lammi, Kuvittaja

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Get to know the authors

Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström

Praise: "In his children's book Forsström skillfully combines the cozy atmosphere of reading bedtime stories, where both Hilja the dog's and father's funny and imaginative suspicions and fears alternate." - Svenska YLE
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Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander

Director, animator and illustrator Åsa Lucander's debut as a children's book illustrator is about the energetic dog Stella, whose real role model is her dog Archie. Lucander says: - Thanks to Archie, I dared to draw my first picture book. Even though I have been working in animation for 20 years and even though illustrating a picture book has always been my dream, it has also seemed like a daunting challenge. When I was then asked to illustrate Ted Forsström's delightfully funny book Hissun kissun, Hilja! the timing felt right.
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