Oksi

A breathtaking tale that comes from the heart of Finnish folklore, Oksi is a unique and mesmerizing graphic novel based on the Finnish legend of the bear as the king of the forest. 

Poorling is a little bear, but she is a bit different from her brothers. 

A bear mother, Umi, has given birth to her new cubs, however, little Poorling doesn’t resemble her brothers. She looks more like a flame than a bear and is bullied by her siblings. Even their mother is at a loss with the strange bear cub. 

Deep down, however, Umi has her own task to overcome: she has to grow out of the shadow of her own mother, the resentful goddess Emuu, mother of all animals. Umi keeps her cubs safe from both Emuu, and from Mana whose Shadow children roam the forest and become dangerous. 

Meanwhile, Poorling discovers that she possesses powerful forces, which makes Umi question how she has ended up with the strange creature. 

Drawing references to the deep layers of Nordic mythology, and to stories ranging from Prometheus, The Ugly Duckling, and Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, Oksi is a stunning magnum opus by the extraordinary Finnish artist Mari Ahokoivu. 

 

A breathtaking tale that comes from the heart of Finnish folklore, Oksi is a unique and mesmerizing graphic novel based on the Finnish legend of the bear as the king of the forest. 

Poorling is a little bear, but she is a bit different from her brothers. 

A bear mother, Umi, has given birth to her new cubs, however, little Poorling doesn’t resemble her brothers. She looks more like a flame than a bear and is bullied by her siblings. Even their mother is at a loss with the strange bear cub. 

Deep down, however, Umi has her own task to overcome: she has to grow out of the shadow of her own mother, the resentful goddess Emuu, mother of all animals. Umi keeps her cubs safe from both Emuu, and from Mana whose Shadow children roam the forest and become dangerous. 

Meanwhile, Poorling discovers that she possesses powerful forces, which makes Umi question how she has ended up with the strange creature. 

Drawing references to the deep layers of Nordic mythology, and to stories ranging from Prometheus, The Ugly Duckling, and Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, Oksi is a stunning magnum opus by the extraordinary Finnish artist Mari Ahokoivu. 

 

info

  • Year of publication

    2018

  • Original title

    Oksi

  • Page count

    380

  • Original publisher

    Asema Publishing

  • Original language of publication

    Finnish

  • Rights sold

    SlovenianWorld EnglishItalian

Reviews

  • School Library Connection

    "A must for libraries with folklore and world culture collections."

  • Publishers Weekly

    “Fluidly rendered in inky black and white washes; accents of color leap off the page as the translation by Aronpuro flows smoothly.”

  • Booklist

    “Painful yet unforgettable… [this] Finnish fairy tale sees the damage that gods, mothers, and daughters are willing to inflict upon one another, all under the guise of love.”

  • BCCB

    “Rich. Radiant. Arresting. A breathtaking exploration of generational connection and the ways that damage can pass down from mother to daughter as easily as love.”

  • Foreward Reviews

    "Inspired by Finnish mythology and folklore, Oksi is a grand, memorable graphic novel about family, jealousy, and love."

  • Foreward Reviews

    "The book’s art is a haunting but playful feast for the eyes; its procession of stunning images are complemented by the selective use of color. Oksi interprets an age-old story with inimitable vision and grace."

  • Kirkus

    “Dark, complex, and gratifying. With its ethereal fairy-tale quality, this quietly challenging story of parents and children translated from the original Finnish is visually powerful and emotionally compelling."

  • Hyllyy blog

    "There is something soft and cloudy about Ahokoivu's narrative, the kind you just want to float along with.(...)Oksi offers a unique artistic experience(...) I think Mari Ahokoivu has succeeded, beautifully, confidently and delicately."

  • Arpad Okay, Comicsbeat

    "Mari Ahokoivu’s OKSI is a storybook on fire(...) I said Oksi is vintage but really the take is fresh as it gets.(...) Oksi is as beautiful as it is gutting, I imagine I’ll be back in those woods again soon."

  • Arla Kanerva, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

    "First things first: Mari Ahokoivu's Oxy is perfect. It is beautiful, intelligent, funny, lively, inventive and full of magic. Ahokoivu is not a new name in Finnish comics, but Oksi is definitely the most ambitious masterpiece of her career so far. (...)Despite the fact that Oksi is over 370 pages long, it is not a heavy read at any point. The rhythm of the pages is airy and natural, the individual images so beautiful that they absorb you for several minutes. (...)But what is most striking about Oks is the expressiveness of the characters' gestures and postures. Both the bears, the mess, Mana, who rules the forest, and her shadow children convey an enormous amount of emotion and events in their apparent simplicity. (...)It is in this expressiveness that the power of comic book storytelling lies. And in this, Mari Ahokoivu ranks among the masters of Finnish comics."

Awards & Nominations

Awards

  • Winner of GLLI Translated Book Prize

    2022

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Quote

”Where was the bear born / Where delivered? / By the moon, next to the sun / Among the stars of the plough / Sent to earth in a golden cradle / With silvery chains.” - Song of the birth of the bear

Authors