My Little Lovely One
Jenni Erkintalo’s latest picture book is a playful combination of text and illustrations aimed at babies, toddlers and their parents. The game of hide-and-seek is created when the little lovely one of the text is not immediately found on the richly illustrated pages.
The narrator eagerly awaits the birth of her baby and searches everywhere for the little one in her tender poems. Erkintalo created the book based on experiences with her own son, and the book celebrates how special and unique everyone is. The book was among the Most Beautiful Books in Finland 2023 and one of the 2024 Children's and Youth Literature Finlandia Prize nominees.
Jenni Erkintalo is an author, illustrator and publisher. She has illustrated and written nine children’s picture books, including four with Réka Király. Erkintalo’s picture book Worm and Sea (Mato ja meri, Etana Editions 2019) was awarded The White Raven 2019 by the International Youth Library. Her works have been translated into Spanish, Galician, Chinese, Korean and Hindi.
Publishing information
Awards & nominations
Nominations
2024
58th Illustrators Exhibition, Finalist
2024
Children's and Youth Literature Finlandia Prize
2023
The Most Beautiful Books of Finland
Reviews
“This beautifully and surprisingly illustrated picture book depicts the mystery of the birth and existence of each human and their unique moment in time. The book touches both young and big readers on the verge of a new life, and the imagination-titillating artwork offers the joy of discovery. For every little reader, the book conveys exactly how exceptional and important they are on this earth.”
"The natural aesthetic typical for Erkintalo is reflected in the ornamentation and richness of the landscapes, where contrasts of pastel shades and dark colours complement one another's glow."
“This picture book with limited text for very young children bursts with joy and positivity. Its covers, made of convincingly sturdy board, open up to a mystical world where every spread offers surprises. The minimalist endpages temper the colour-drenched narration. The colour scheme is cheerful and untypical for Finland, and the unpolished style of illustration supports the feeling of the moment.”