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Button and Popper
Button and Popper tells the story of a family of pixies—mother, father, and twelve children—who live in an apple tree. They enjoy its warmth and shelter, eating apple pie all spring and summer long. But when fall comes, the leaves begin to drop and the apple tree becomes a cold and wet place to live. Twin brothers Button and Popper decide to find their family a new home, but when they trek into the city and start inquiring about an apartment with room for twelve children and their parents, people laugh in their faces or politely excuse themselves.
Luck strikes when, through a most fortunate mix-up at the market, the pixies find themselves in the home of Professor Pilli. When he hears their story, he invites them to look after his house while he’s away at the South Pole. When the rest of their pixie family finds out the good news, everyone is relieved and happy again.
First published in 1964, Button and Popper was written and illustrated by Oili Tanninen, one of Finland’s most celebrated illustrators and authors. Bold, on-trend, midcentury illustrations support this new translation of a classic Finnish story that’s quirky and charming in equal measure.
Luck strikes when, through a most fortunate mix-up at the market, the pixies find themselves in the home of Professor Pilli. When he hears their story, he invites them to look after his house while he’s away at the South Pole. When the rest of their pixie family finds out the good news, everyone is relieved and happy again.
First published in 1964, Button and Popper was written and illustrated by Oili Tanninen, one of Finland’s most celebrated illustrators and authors. Bold, on-trend, midcentury illustrations support this new translation of a classic Finnish story that’s quirky and charming in equal measure.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 4, 2019
When a large family of pixies - Mother, Father and twelve little children - find that their summer home in an apple tree isn't quite the thing for winter, they must look for a new abode. Two of the pixie children - twins Button and Popper - go into the nearby town to search, only to discover that no one will rent to a family with twelve children. Fortunately, a mix-up with Professor Prilli's market basket leads the pixie brothers to a solution that works for everybody...
Originally published in 1964 as Nappi ja Neppari, and presented in English for the first time this year (2019), this classic Finnish picture-book was written, according to the author's foreword for this new edition, when Oili Tanninen was searching for an apartment in Helsinki, in the fall of 1963. It is a sweet and gentle tale, one which presents a real world problem - finding a home for a large family - in a magical, fairy-tale fashion. The artwork, which utilizes only three colors of ink, is charming, full of bold shapes and amusingly expressive details. Recommended to young children who enjoy stories about diminutive magical people - brownies, fairies, elves, pixies - and to anyone who appreciates the simpler, more graphic illustration styles of previous decades.
Originally published in 1964 as Nappi ja Neppari, and presented in English for the first time this year (2019), this classic Finnish picture-book was written, according to the author's foreword for this new edition, when Oili Tanninen was searching for an apartment in Helsinki, in the fall of 1963. It is a sweet and gentle tale, one which presents a real world problem - finding a home for a large family - in a magical, fairy-tale fashion. The artwork, which utilizes only three colors of ink, is charming, full of bold shapes and amusingly expressive details. Recommended to young children who enjoy stories about diminutive magical people - brownies, fairies, elves, pixies - and to anyone who appreciates the simpler, more graphic illustration styles of previous decades.
January 6, 2020
Son's Review:
(Age: 4)
What it's about:
It's about two pixies finding a new home and succeeding. The pixies can't find a home, but Button and Popper do. They're the most main kids. In fact, they're what the book's about.
Favorite parts:
Well, my favorite thing was how they got a new home in the end, and they all lived happy.
How he felt:
Awesome, because I've never read about pixies.
What he would have done:
I would say, "You could live with us. Some upstairs and some downstairs, like a little hotel."
Questions T posed:
Son: Why do you think that they leave their home in winter?
Mom: It's too cold to stay in the apple tree.
Son: Why don't all the pixies go look for a home?
Mom: Maybe because Button and Popper want to give it one more try.
Son: Or maybe the first expedition was together, and they found a place where someone said they'd be long gone, but they changed it because of the weather.
Mom's Review:
The re-release of Button and Popper has been hailed as timely and particularly relevant in today's cultural climate. I have to agree. Button and Popper are two of twelve pixie children living with their parents in an apple tree. As winter approaches, and their living situation becomes untenable, the family struggles to find a new, safe residence. Everywhere they turn, they are turned away because of their family's size. It is finally through a fortuitous accident that they are invited by a homeowner to occupy his house while he is gone for the winter. A tale of hard-hearted onlookers and one compassionate logical thinker, Button and Popper drives home the message that those in need should be aided and that those who can help have no reason not to.
Mid-century style is to my taste, and the art in Button and Popper is delightful. The two pixies' journey to find a home after their parents fail is sweet, heartfelt, and a bit exciting. But it is the underlying lesson of acceptance, compassion, and aide that allow this classic to stand the test of time.
Note: Thames and Hudson provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
(Age: 4)
What it's about:
It's about two pixies finding a new home and succeeding. The pixies can't find a home, but Button and Popper do. They're the most main kids. In fact, they're what the book's about.
Favorite parts:
Well, my favorite thing was how they got a new home in the end, and they all lived happy.
How he felt:
Awesome, because I've never read about pixies.
What he would have done:
I would say, "You could live with us. Some upstairs and some downstairs, like a little hotel."
Questions T posed:
Son: Why do you think that they leave their home in winter?
Mom: It's too cold to stay in the apple tree.
Son: Why don't all the pixies go look for a home?
Mom: Maybe because Button and Popper want to give it one more try.
Son: Or maybe the first expedition was together, and they found a place where someone said they'd be long gone, but they changed it because of the weather.
Mom's Review:
The re-release of Button and Popper has been hailed as timely and particularly relevant in today's cultural climate. I have to agree. Button and Popper are two of twelve pixie children living with their parents in an apple tree. As winter approaches, and their living situation becomes untenable, the family struggles to find a new, safe residence. Everywhere they turn, they are turned away because of their family's size. It is finally through a fortuitous accident that they are invited by a homeowner to occupy his house while he is gone for the winter. A tale of hard-hearted onlookers and one compassionate logical thinker, Button and Popper drives home the message that those in need should be aided and that those who can help have no reason not to.
Mid-century style is to my taste, and the art in Button and Popper is delightful. The two pixies' journey to find a home after their parents fail is sweet, heartfelt, and a bit exciting. But it is the underlying lesson of acceptance, compassion, and aide that allow this classic to stand the test of time.
Note: Thames and Hudson provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2019
A gentle Finnish tale from the 60s with stylised illustrations and a large family of little pixies on the hunt for a new home for the winter.
Quite a lot of writing, I would recommend this for slightly older children (with longer attention spans!)
Quite a lot of writing, I would recommend this for slightly older children (with longer attention spans!)
October 20, 2019
Button and Popper are pixie twins and have ten other siblings to contend with in vying for the attention of their mother and father. Although the family have happily been living in an apple tree throughout the kinder seasons, with winter approaching they need somewhere warm and spacious. It seems that the family are all out of luck until Button and Popper mischievously decide to take matters into their own hands.
For the first time ever, this Finnish children's classic has been reissued and translated into English by Emily Jeremiah. Having been created back in 1963 when Tanninen, her husband and two children were also trying to find accommodation in Helsinki, this illustrated book is a delight (it's not really a picturebook). Wanting to ensure that cost of printing and purchase were low, Tanninen worked with only three inks.
The story itself is simple enough but Jeremiah's narrative delights which some cheeky humour throughout. Both my boys (5 & 6) loved this little story of two pixies trying to find a better home for their family. The bold prints reminded me much of the work of Tomi Ungerer.
For the first time ever, this Finnish children's classic has been reissued and translated into English by Emily Jeremiah. Having been created back in 1963 when Tanninen, her husband and two children were also trying to find accommodation in Helsinki, this illustrated book is a delight (it's not really a picturebook). Wanting to ensure that cost of printing and purchase were low, Tanninen worked with only three inks.
The story itself is simple enough but Jeremiah's narrative delights which some cheeky humour throughout. Both my boys (5 & 6) loved this little story of two pixies trying to find a better home for their family. The bold prints reminded me much of the work of Tomi Ungerer.
October 31, 2025
Whenever I encounter Finnish culture, I tend to find it absolutely delightful, and this is no exception. Now, I would never have guessed the characters on the cover were pixies, so apparently I have a thing or two yet to learn about the Finnish conception of such creatures, but it was delightful all the same. I even learned a new word—palaver. The translation sounded very much natural to my native English ears.
My boys were initially skeptical, but they got into the story and really seemed to enjoy the illustrations.
My boys were initially skeptical, but they got into the story and really seemed to enjoy the illustrations.
August 14, 2019
This is a Finnish Fairy Tale that was first published in 1964. It tells the story of twin pixies who set off to find a new home for their family. It is a cheerful tale with mix ups and a gentle adventure. I enjoyed the simple, timeless illustrations that added to the whimsy of the tale. For those who like to explore fairy tales from other cultures this is a sweet one to dip your toes into Finnish culture.
February 25, 2020
A large pixie family is in need of a new winter home. Luckily the two smallest pixies go on a hunt for a home, and despite a little mischief and mixup, are successful in their hunt. It’s a cute story with fun, bright illustrations in a graphic style popular at the books publishing time of the 1960s. Since my family heritage is Finnish, I especially appreciated that a book popular in Finland is now available in the US.
November 24, 2021
This book is a long picture book.
I found the colour scheme interesting - everything was illustrated in black, orange and yellow.
However it was quite a quick and abrupt story line in my opinion for quite a long story.
I found the colour scheme interesting - everything was illustrated in black, orange and yellow.
However it was quite a quick and abrupt story line in my opinion for quite a long story.
November 4, 2019
Aesthetically pleasing.
December 11, 2019
A truly great book in an old fashioned real story. Very special if you have twins in the family.
January 21, 2020
A new reprint of a 1960's picture book by Finnish author Oili Tanninen. The story is cute and the illustrations are charming. It is a fun, sweet story!
November 24, 2021
Great colours to explore.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews