Onni and the Balcony Jungle

Sanna Pelliccioni

Onni’s mom can’t wait for spring to arrive. Onni’s father buys her a bright light. Onni and his brother Olavi prepare a special sea breeze massage and plant sunflower seeds for her. That’s how the whole family’s spring adventure begins: they start by changing the soil in the flower pots, the kids get their own shelf for their flowers, and even the tomato seedlings are starting to grow. Maybe by the end of the summer the balcony will be a jungle?

Onni-poika (Onni boy) is author-illustrator Sanna Pelliccioni’s 14-book picture book series that started in 2007. The series follows the everyday-life adventures of a boy called Onni and his family, their happiness and troubles. The title Onni Recycles has been awarded by the international children’s book organization IBBY’s Special Books for Children and Young People with Disabilities. Onni books have also been used for educational purposes for their topics, straightforward texts and easy to understand images. The Onni books have sold in over 40,000 copies in Finland and are loved by preschoolers. The Onni books have also been translated into Chinese and Korean.