First prize of the Rudolf Koivu 2025 competition goes to Maria Vilja

The first prize of the Rudolf Koivu children’s and young people’s book illustration competition, worth 15,000 euros, was awarded to Maria Vilja’s illustrations for the book Kesän ainoa kaunis päivä. The second prize was awarded to Jussi Kaakinen’s illustrations for the book Maailman pahimmat paikat. The third prize was awarded to Tuomas Kärkkäinen’s illustrations for the book Terveiset Kalevalasta.

Every two years, Grafia awards the children’s and young people’s book illustration award, named after Rudolf Koivu, who served as the association’s first secretary. On 13 November 2025, three prizes were awarded in the competition for the first time: the first prize (€15,000) awarded by Grafia, and the second (€10,000) and third (€5,000) prizes, which were funded by the Amer Cultural Foundation. Grafia’s award is funded by Kopiosto remunerations.

Maria Vilja (b. 1986) is an illustrator and children’s author with a background in art education and in social work. Vilja is known for, e.g. the Invisible Backpack book series, which deals with the life of a highly sensitive child. Kesän ainoa kaunis päivä (WSOY, 2024), which won the first prize in the Rudolf Koivu competition, is illustrated and written by Maria Vilja. The picture book tells the story of how high expectations for one day eventually upset a mother and her two children. A dark cloud of great expectations and small setbacks overshadows the beautiful day of the adventure. Kesän ainoa kaunis päivä was also a nominee for the 2025 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize and for the Finlandia Prize in Children’s and Youth Literature 2024.

The jury of the Rudolf Koivu Competition justified the selection of the winner as follows:

“The work is an insightfully composed, expressive and cohesive whole. In the story, the perspectives and emotions of the main characters, the mother and children, are conveyed through wonderfully illustrated spreads. The picture also makes you think about events outside the story of the book. What happened yesterday? What are the less beautiful days of summer like? The images are bursting with warmth, love and humour, but also give room for the mother’s harrowing fear of failure and the children’s clinging longing for acceptance. The expressions and gestures of Vilja’s characters are perceptive, and the composition is insightful. The illustrations in the book are also an excellent lesson in the importance of light in creating emotional states: Kesän ainoa kaunis päivä glows alternately in the delicate evening sun and in the reddish filtering saturation of the mother’s skirt.”

Jussi Kaakinen (b. 1978) is an illustrator and graphic designer. He graduated from the Helsinki University of Art and Design in 2006 with a Master of Arts degree and has been working as an entrepreneur ever since. For twenty years, Kaakinen has done illustrations and cover design for both children’s and adult books for several Finnish book publishers. As a children’s book illustrator, he specialises in non-fiction books. Jussi Kaakinen won the second prize in the Rudolf Koivu competition for his illustrations for the book Maailman pahimmat paikat, written by Jani Kaaro (Into Kustannus, 2024). The book takes you on a tour of the worst places in the world, whether they are on Earth, in our own solar system or even further away.

The jury’s reasoning for the second prize winner:

“The illustrations shine in their limited colour scale on the pages of a book describing the worst places in our universe. Jussi Kaakinen’s task has been to illustrate views and events that no human eye has witnessed. The illustrations are entertaining, but perceptive and original. Infographic symbols that complement the otherworldly illustrations complete the whole. The book is also extremely successful in terms of printing technology. The subdued shades of grey and bright orange support each other wonderfully.”

Tuomas Kärkkäinen (b. 1983) is an illustrator, children’s author and visual designer. His work is characterised by humour and social criticism, a clear style and bold colours. Kärkkäinen’s clients include Pori Jazz, the City of Helsinki, Helsingin Sanomat, Suomen Kuvalehti, Amnesty International and several magazines. Tuomas Kärkkäinen won the third prize in the Rudolf Koivu competition for his illustrations for Terveiset Kalevalasta (Tammi, 2025), written by Jukka Itkonen. In the book, Itkonen’s Kalevala-themed poems and Kärkkäinen’s illustrations form an exhilarating epic poem.

The jury’s reasoning for the winner of the third prize:

“Tuomas Kärkkäinen’s choice as the illustrator of the Kalevala-themed book represents the perfect casting in the picture book industry. The illustrations are angular, personal and surprising, but at the same time, they are recognisable immediately as suitable for the subject due to their enlightened colour choices and graphic style. E.g. the power balance between Aino and Väinämöinen is turned upside down by Itkonen and Kärkkäinen. In addition to the main images, the humorous content of the text translates into clever ornamental illustrations. These ornaments open the themes of each poem in a list-like manner. The association with the Kalevala is clear, for example, because of the typography, but a new level has been brought to the national epic.”

The jury of the Rudolf Koivu 2025 competition consisted of the winner of the previous prize, illustrator and comic artist Kati Närhi, Executive Director Emmi Jäkkö from the Finnish Reading Centre, curator Marja Niemi from the Tuusula Art Museum, illustrator Anja Reponen and illustrator and designer Ville Salervo.

A total of 139 books published in the last two years competed for the Rudolf Koivu 2025 awards. The prizes were awarded on 13 November at Grafia’s Luonnos Gallery in Helsinki. At the same time, an award exhibition was opened, which showcases Rudolf Koivu Prize-winning works as well as seven picture books that received an honourable mention from the jury. The exhibition will be on display at Luonnos Gallery until 21 December.

Honourable mentions and justifications:

Mirkka Eskonen: Talvipuutarhurit (Teos, 2024)
The blue-toned illustrations using woodcuts create a mysterious atmosphere in the book. Talvipuutarhurit is a good example of the fact that a children’s book does not always have to be full of action and details – also a modest and simple one is beautiful.

Aino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen: Tatun ja Patun 14 outoa ongelmaa ja ratkaisut niihin (Otava, 2025)
The book is once again a prime example of the service-mindedness of the creators, their amazing ability to make pictures for children, tell stories with pictures, get children to grab their books night after night and entertain their guardians at the same time.

Ilja Karsikas: Sateenkaarikiitäjä (Kustantamo S&S, 2024)
Ilja Karsikas masterfully balances between sketchy and deliberate with his drawing. The whole is completed by the wonderfully vivid use of colours.

Netta Lehtola: Mölymyrsky (WSOY, 2025)
The world of the sensory hypersensitive child is effectively constructed in Netta Lehtola’s hands through deliberately dynamic and inventive page compositions.

Sanna Pelliccioni: Kaija! – Säveltäjä Kaija Saariahon värit, varjot ja valot (Teos, 2025)
The music is difficult to depict, but Sanna Pelliccioni succeeds in an exemplary manner with her illustrations that borrow an abstract idiom. The combinations of photography and illustration also work seamlessly.

Mikko Saarainen: Barbaari-Ari rosvojahdissa (Otava, 2025)
The adventures of Ari the barbarian are a celebration of maximalist illustrations. Amid illustrations, as if by a miracle, you can discern the essential at first glance, as the world expands exponentially on closer inspection.

Maria Sann: Gamlingarna (Kustantamo S&S, 2025)
The illustrations of the book are fluid and confident – it is easy to surrender to it. Maria Sann’s particularly developed eye for colour, the sensitivity of the line and her sense of rhythm delight in this book as well.

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Rudolf Koivu 2025 Award Exhibition
14.11.–21.12.2025
Luonnos – Creative space by Grafia
Uudenmaankatu 13, Helsinki.
Wed–Fri 12–17, Sat–Sun 12–16, free admission