Oksi
Translated by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro
WINNER of GLLI Translated Book Prize
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.
Poorling is a little bear. She’s a bit different from her brothers. Mother keeps their family safe.
For the Forest is full of dangers. It is there that Mana lives, with her Shadow children.
And above them all, Emuu, the great Grandma in the Sky.
From the heart of Finnish folklore comes a breathtaking tale of mothers, daughters, stars and legends, and the old gods and the new.
Type: Graphic Novel
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Publication: October 26, 2021
ISBN: 9781646141135
Type: Graphic Novel
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Publication: October 26, 2021
ISBN: 9781646141128
praise
Kirkus Most Anticipated Books for Fall
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated Book Prize
★ "A must for libraries with folklore and world culture collections."
—School Library Connection (starred)
★ “Fluidly rendered in inky black and white washes; accents of color leap off the page as the translation by Aronpuro flows smoothly.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred)
★ “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.”
—Booklist (starred)
★ “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.”
—BCCB (starred)
"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."
—Foreward Reviews
“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.”
—Kirkus
About Mari Ahokoivu
Mari Ahokoivu is an illustrator and comics artist from Finland. Her magnum opus, Oksi, was called “beautiful, clever, funny, vibrant, and full of magic” by the biggest newspaper in her home country; was shortlisted for the Jarkko Laine Award; and has now been translated into English as the first graphic novel on the Levine Querido list.
About Silja-Maaria Aronpuro
Silja-Maaria Aronpuro is a Finnish translator. She finds bringing other people’s stories to life in a different language pretty magical. She is happy to have translated books that have been selected the Finnish graphic novel of the year 2018 and the translation of the year 2019 by the panel of critics in the Finnish comics society’s magazine.
