Immigrant boy helps Finnish drunk in Swedish storybook

print this

By Kalle Koponen in Stockholm
     
      A Finnish alcoholic sits in a park next to the sandbox of a Swedish suburban apartment house. Empty beer cans lie around him, and in his plastic bag he has more beverage containers that are still unopened.
      The trash containers are overflowing, and the building's walls are covered by graffiti. The balconies of immigrants' apartments are bulging with satellite antennas.
      The sight is a familiar one in Swedish suburbs. This time, however, the context is that of a new story book for children. I just read it to my two-year-old daughter.
      The two books by renowned Swedish illustrator Gunna Grähs have received good reviews. Grähs does not write about elves or quaint farm houses. Instead, in the political tradition of the 1970s, she writes about alcoholics, degradation, and little boys who help a friend in need.
     
The young, dark-haired Dino meets Heikki lying in the bushes in the front yard. Heikki is in a severe state of self-recrimination. He starts to cry because in his drunken stupor, he has forgotten to feed his cat.
      Dino takes Heikki's keys and goes to his home to see how the cat is doing. "You are a good guy, Dino", grunts the stubble-chinned Heikki Myllylä from the bushes.
      I broke out into incredulous laughter as I was reading, because the image was so unexpected in a children's book. "Don't laugh", my daughter scolded me. She wanted to know if Heikki Myllylä's cat was all right.
     
Grähs's book describes Heikki's untidy apartment to the last detail. Rubbish bins are full, and the ashtrays reek. Empty bottles are everywhere, as well as paper bags full of beer cans. In the kitchen there is a mountain of unwashed dishes next to a dirty stove. A leaky milk carton in the refrigerator has left dried residue on the bottom drawer.
      Everywhere there is a chaos of food scraps and socks. On the table, the remnants of sausages that were eaten directly from the frying pan.
      The cat is right at the door to meet Dino and meows out of hunger. Fortunately canned food is found. Dino stays in the apartment for a short time and waits for the cat to get enough to eat.
     
"The Hei hei books are wonderful for young readers, but the depth of the content is equally good for older children with reading difficulties", wrote a critic for the newspaper Dagens Nyheter in December.
      "The Hei hei series has every possibility to become a classic among children's books", enthused an article in the magazine of the Swedish Institute.
      Grähs' illustration style is mercilessly detailed, but nevertheless sympathetic. In spite of the severe environment, the story glows with warmth. The wall of the living room has a poster of Las Palmas, and Heikki has fashioned a fortress out of a cardboard box for his cat to play in.
      When little Dino leaves Heikki's apartment, carrying bags of trash past the obscene graffiti, he appears to be satisfied. "The cat has had enough to eat. Heikki will surely be happy", Dino thinks.
      My daughter was charmed by the story. She was furious when I took the book to work to write this article.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 7.2.2007

More on this subject:
 Author: Everyday life and reality

KALLE KOPONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
kalle.koponen@hs.fi