Tuikku baban maassa
(Tuikku in babas country) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Tuikku wakes up in their father’s, baba’s, house in Nigeria. Tuikku had travelled there with their mother the previous day. A party is being held for Tuikku and their mother, to which relatives have been invited. Tuikku gets a new fancy dress for the party, which they stubbornly want to wear right before the party starts. However, Tuikku falls into a puddle of mud and the dress gets dirty. Tuikku is embarrassed and sad, and the party spirit is gone.
Edited by: Lastenkirjainstituutti
Comment:
The picture book is part of a book series that describes the everyday feelings and coincidences of the brown Tuikku child, without the burden of racism. The usual challenges and joys of children are dealt together with safe adults. In this picturebook, living in two cultures is more highlighted, when Tuikku is visiting their father in his homeland, Nigeria. Tuikku’s gender is not specified. There is only one third-person pronoun in the Finnish language: hän. Gender is not defined through the pronoun, so sometimes gender can be faded or left unstated.