Representing the best
Finnish authors abroad
Finnish authors abroad
Ella has lovely friends and classmates at school and a great teacher.
Everything would be fine but for the possibility of her classmate Pete having to repeat first grade instead of moving into grade two like everyone else in the class. And another thing that is causing concern for the children is that Teacher might be evicted from his home.
The problem with Pete is that he doesn’t know his multiplication tables. But he doesn’t see any point in learning them either. What would he, a future rock star, do with them? Surely his manager would always take care of the figures and accounts.
And the problem with the teacher? His dogs, Ko and Yote, howl during the night and Teacher’s landlord now howls at Teacher and plans to evict him.
Thankfully Thomas hatches a great plan. The children just have to get Teacher a boat! Teacher can live on the boat with his dogs and sail the world. And obviously he won’t be able to make Pete repeat the year at school while he is away sailing. Pete could even give his debut performance as a rock star at Teacher’s farewell party! Pete will instantly become famous, get a manager, and won’t need to learn his multiplication tables. The whole class thinks Thomas is a genius.
Timo Parvela (b.1964) is the number one children’s author in Finland and Ella & Friends is his longest standing series. He is a true master of capturing how children think in familiar situations and he always does it with a sense of humour and a touch of magic.
Ella & Friends Role Reversal, 2022
Ella & Friends on a Poop Trail, 2021
Ella & Friends Remote Schooling, 2021
Ella & Friends Finally in 3rd Grade, 2020
Ella & Friends Ahoy There!, due 2020
Ella & Friends Save the Earth, 2019
Ella & Friends as Kings, 2019
Ella & Friends in Concert, 2018
Ella & Friends as Master Chefs, 2018
Ella & Friends on their Way to Scout Jamboree, 2017
Ella & Friends – Horseplay, 2017
Ella & Friends in a Pickle, 2015
Ella & Friends in His Majesty’s Secret Service, 2016
Ella & Friends Build a Magic Machine, 2016
Ella & Friends Babysit, 2015
Ella & Friends Skip School, 2014
Ella & Friends in the Woods, 2013
Ella & the Lost Pointer, 2012
Ella & the Great Deeds of Sampo, 2011
Ella & Friends Have a Party, 2010
Ella & the Night Knight, 2010
Ella Hits the Jackpot, 2009
Ella & F1, 2008
Ella & the Seven Sillies, 2007
Ella – Watch Out for the Children!, 2006
Ella at Sea, 2005
Ella & the Superstar, 2004
Ella in Lapland, 2003
Ella at Night School, 2001
Ella & the New Boy in Class, 2000
Ella & Pete, 1999
Ella & the Holiday Camp, 1998
Ella on a School Trip, 1998
Ella in the Theatre, 1996
Ella & the Blackmailer, 1995
138pp
Black and white drawings
The Ella books have been published in Arabic/ME, Belarusian, Czech, Danish, Estonian, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Sámi and Persian
Finnish edition
German translation
Russian translation
Norwegian translation
Turkish translation
“Parvela is in in his element. Gorgeous blundering that keeps you entertained.”– Anita Ruckerbauer, BN-News, Germany
“The Ella books are one of very few book about school that you even want to read during the holidays!”– Die Zeit, Germany
“Guaranteed nonsense and deliusions with Ella and her friends!” – Stéphane Larue, France
“Clever, genuinely funny… with a perfect dose of emotion.”– Savon Sanomat newspaper