Mister King

By Hannu Taina Raija Siekkinen

Timeless fairy tale classic about a lonely king and a cat who changes the king’s life.

Far away from here, on the shore of a distant sea, there was a wonderful house. And in this house lived a little white-bearded king. So begins the story of Mister King, a king with one big problem – he has no subjects. His beautiful castle and many fine possessions fail to delight him, for he feels lonely and useless. When one day an unusual cat comes to the castle for shelter, Mister King suddenly finds his life taking a new direction.

The renowned author Raija Siekkinen’s (1954-2004) gentle and humoristic tale was a winner of Otava’s picture book competition.

The Biennale of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), which is considered the largest and most prestigious international competition and exhibition of children’s book illustrations in the world, awarded Hannu Taina the BIB Grand Prix award for his illustrations in Mister King.

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About the author

Hannu Taina (b. 1941) is an award-winning Finnish artist and graphic designer who has illustrated many books for both adults and children, and is known for his black-and-white as well as full-colour illustrations.Taina won The Biennale of Illustrations Bratislava Grand Prix in 1986, the largest and most prestigious international competition and exhibition of children’s book illustrations, for his work in Mister King, written by the distinguished author Raija Siekkinen. 

Raija Siekkinen (1953- 2004) was an acknowledged master of short stories and one of the most notable literary authors of the late 20th century in Finland. She published several collections, as well as novels and children’s books during her career.In her short stories, everyday events play an essential part in the great drama of life: love, disappointment, anger, divorce and deceit. The viewpoint of a loner, a child or a marginalized woman formed the basis for her unique narration. She excels at depicting psychological processes, inner movements, through giving them an external form, a tangible figure in the story. Siekkinen was awarded the State Prize for Literature, the Runeberg Prize and Eino Leino Prize. She was also nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 1991.