Tales from a Finnish Tupa Paperback – October 2, 2009

This little book of Finnish folk tales is an absolute gem. The tales are well told, and truly take one into the realm of magic. I am frequently reminded of Tolkien's more esoteric writings, as well as reminded of the Russian fairy tales with which I grew up. I am in my 50's, but I truly look forward to my time spent reading this book. The images of wizards, wise women/witches, "singing" magic into reality, birds and beasts that speak, all are woven together to create that lush tapestry of imagination that the best-told tales contain. I want to give a copy to my sister, and have ordered a new one, rather than risk losing the one I have. And the tales are completely suitable--indeed they beg--to be read aloud to listeners of any age, but especially to children, who will remember them always, I am sure, as a truthful but magical realm. The illustrations are pretty dated, but that is okay, since the vivid tales create their own pictures in the mind.

I adored these stories as a child, not the least because it was my dad who read them to me. I still have his book from the 30s, but I wanted to share it with a friend who lives in France, so I sent her this copy. It only took a week to arrive, and she loves it and can't wait to read it to her children. So fantastic to share these unique tales.

The book is kinda neat & gets you a feeling of the life there in that country. I love the cover

I can't believe I'm the first person to write about this. For the past 3 years, I have written/adapted Finnish folktales for Riverfront Family Theatre, based in Central Mass. This book was thoroughly inspirational, and I've read nearly every story to my daughter, age 9. I'm not Finnish, but the Finns say I'm an honorary Finn because I have sisu and like to ski in crap weather. This collection gives a taste of the weird and unpredictable stories -- some drawn from the epic Kalevala. Tupa is a "sauna" (SOW-na, not SAWna). A treasure.

I had borrowed this book from the library to read to our family. We all love the stories and the pictures. When it was time to return the book I decided to buy a copy for our home. We love the color illustrations. It is a wonderful addition to any folk library.

I was speaking to a customer representative about finding old, impossible items to find and mentioned a fairy tale book from my childhood. This goes back over forty years and she said "We have it." I will be a loyal customer for life! Amazon is amazing! Bought four for Christmas to pass down Finnish culture!

My father was Finnish and he gave me this book when I was about four--a very long time ago! I read it all through school, then read it to my children. My daughter in particular loved it, and this copy was a gift from me to HER daughter.

Am looking for folk tales. These are unusual.