Written by: JS Meresmaa Illustrated by: Pamela Samel Publication date: September 2026 ISBN: 9789527581261 Number of pages: 32 pages Size: 18 x 25 cm Recommended age: 3+
Autumn Friendship is a story set in autumn that depicts the cycle of nature, friendship, helping others, and the bittersweet nature of parting.
A small thrush fledgling, Hop-Hop, is accidentally left behind when the rest of its family sets off on their migration south. In the middle of a frightening, stormy night, Tok-Tok the woodpecker offers Hop-Hop shelter in its nesting hole.
The next day, they set out together to search for the missing flock. Along the way, they meet other forest animals and must face various fears. In the end, the search has a happy conclusion when the family is found. The moment is bittersweet, as Hop-Hop departs with its family.
However, friendship does not disappear even when paths diverge – when spring arrives, they will meet again.
Written by J.S. Meresmaa and illustrated by Pamela Samel, this book is a standalone sequel to the 2025 book Spring Friendship, which was created through the Children's Book Bridge project. The Children's Book Bridge was a project implemented by the Finnish Institute for Children's Literature from 2022 to 2024, which strengthened the awareness and cooperation between Estonian and Finnish children's and youth literature and highlighted the diverse range of children's books and expertise in neighboring countries.
