All first-graders in the capital region to receive a children’s book by Anneli Kanto

This year’s Finnish-language book gift for first-graders is Aamos ja jälkien arvoitus, written by award-winning author Anneli Kanto and illustrated by Tuire Siiriäinen. The book is published by Oppi&ilo/Sanoma Pro.

Aamos ja jälkien arvoitus is an engaging story about Aamos the elk, who makes a new friend. The book is easy to read: the words are divided into syllables, the sentence structures are simple enough for a first-grader who is just learning to read, and the vocabulary is easy to understand. In addition to supporting children as they learn to read, the story explores a wide range of emotions and helps develop emotional and interpersonal skills that are important to everyone. The appealing, dynamic illustrations play an important role in the story, whose lovable animal characters are easy for children to relate to.

The joint campaign by libraries and publishers aims to support the development of children’s literacy. Having a book of their very own may inspire schoolchildren to make reading a regular part of their lives. Espoo’s Director of Library Services, Ritva Nyberg, emphasises that strengthening literacy is a collaborative effort that benefits us all in the future.

“Literacy is the foundation for learning, inclusion and wellbeing, but it is also a key part of democratic education. It gives us the skills to understand the world, evaluate information and participate in our communities. Research shows that reading strengthens emotional skills and empathy. As we explore different worlds through books, we learn to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and understand different perspectives. When families, schools and libraries work together to support children’s literacy development, every child can grow into an active, understanding and engaged member of society,” Nyberg says.

“It is a great pleasure to be part of the Helmet libraries’ first-grader campaign,” says Johanna Laurila, Business Manager at Oppi&ilo. 

“Learning to read is one of the great moments of discovery in a child’s life. We hope that this easy-to-read and engaging story will give children a sense of accomplishment”, Laurila says and continues: “Reading the first books independently is a big milestone for a child and can spark a lifelong love of reading. Libraries, in turn, are true treasure troves where every child can find exciting books that match their reading level.”

“It is important that first-graders with different kinds of print disabilities also receive a book that is suitable for them as part of the campaign. We at Celia are delighted to be able to help make this possible again this year,” says Juha Nurro, Head of Accessible Content at Accessibility Library Celia. Celia produces accessible books for children with print disabilities.

Helmet libraries will also give Swedish-speaking first-graders their very own book. This year’s Swedish-language book is Kvartersdeckarna – Balkongtjuven, written by Helena Bross and illustrated by Kajsa Hallström. The book is published by Bonnier Carlsen.

Helmet libraries’ staff will invite first-grade classes and their teachers to the library and hand out the books during the visit.

Accessibility Library Celia produces accessible books combining audio and text as well as Braille versions of the Finnish- and Swedish-language books featured in the first-grader campaign.

Celia’s books are intended for anyone who finds it difficult to read a regular book due to dyslexia, illness, disability or similar reasons.

To access the books, a child must have a user ID for Celia’s online service. A user ID can be obtained through the child’s school or local library.