“I love creating fun a quirky animal characters and stories that have heart.”
Mirka Hokkanen is an author-illustrator creating picture books, graphic novels and non-fiction books for kids ages 3-8 years. Each book has free resources to download found at the Free Resources page.
Mossy and Tweed: Crazy for Coconuts
Holiday House . 2023 . ISBN: 9780823456796 . 4-8 Years
Two clueless gnomes on a quest to crack a coconut make one blooper after another in this over-the-top funny early graphic novel series.
Purchasing options
Reviews:
“Hokkanen packs lots of silly, Looney Tunes–style slapstick into this slim early reader comic, and the bright, cartoonish art style is a perfect match for the comedy. The fantasy setting is charming and will appeal to kids moving between independent picture- and chapter- book reading.”—Booklist
“The text within the speech bubbles is brief, and though the vocabulary is simple, the dialogue is delightfully dramatic. Colorful and detailed cartoon illustrations capture the comedy well and will keep beginning readers turning the pages. Readers will giggle at these beleaguered gnomes’ misguided attempts at achieving their goal.”—Kirkus Reviews
Kitty and Cat: Opposites Attract
Reviews:
Hokkanen tells a simple, satisfying story while including examples of opposites in a natural-sounding way. . . Color is used sparingly in some scenes and fully in others but always effectively. An amusing, enjoyable picture book for reading aloud. —Booklist
Old or new, grumpy or happy, opposites describe this charming pair of cats as they learn to live with each other. . . . Hokkanen combines an opposites-filled text and digital illustrations to capture the tone and emotion of both cats. . . . Highly entertaining for teaching opposites or for prompting students to add descriptive language to a fun story. —School Library Journal
Candlewick . 2023 . ISBN: 9781536223675 . 2-5 Years
Meet Kitty! Kitty wants to play! Meet Cat. Cat just wants to nap. Bold, whimsical artwork and plenty of humor engage little ones in a sly and stylish introduction to opposites.
Purchasing options
2023 Northern Lights Book Awards winner in Concept Category
Mossy and Tweed: Double Trouble
Holiday House . 2023 . ISBN: 9780823452354 . 4-8 Years
Is there room for two unicorns in the Gnome Woods? Mossy and Tweed find out in another silly, slapstick adventure in this over-the-top funny early graphic novel series.
Purchasing options
Reviews:
“The crisp, engaging cartoon artwork and comical story provide excellent insight into the benefits of teamwork.”—Booklist
Kitty & Cat: Bent Out of Shape
Reviews:
The ending combines the adorable with the humorous as the tables turn for Kitty and Puppy. Clever, cute, and child-friendly, with excellent use of book design.
—Kirkus Reviews
Brightly colored cartoon-style digital illustrations promote a sense of fun and provide plenty of details to enjoy.
—Booklist
Candlewick . 2023 . ISBN: 9781536223682 . 2-5 Years
Bathtime has Cat quite literally bent out of shape in this fresh, funny concept book that’s purr-fect for the preschool set.
Purchasing options
Little Seasons: Spring Seeds
Odd Dot . Coming Feb 2024 . ISBN 1250885604 .
2-6 years
Preorder: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
A funny and informative nonfiction picture book introducing the life cycle of seeds and exploring the season of spring, including interactive back matter.
Free growth chart on the resources page
Little Seasons: Autumn Leaves
Odd Dot . Coming Sep 2024 . ISBN 1250885612 . 2-6 years
Preorder: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Discover how leaves fall into place! As summer fades into autumn, the amazing life cycle continues―leaves change color and begin to fall. From spiky cactus spines to big ruffly kale leaves and everything in between, discover what leaves can do in this pitch-perfect picture book for younger readers.
With clear, informative text and bright, charming illustrations, as well as lots of hilarious interjections from the leaves themselves, this is an exciting second book in a nonfiction picture book series exploring life cycles and the seasons.
Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book
Author: Vivian Kirkfield
Publisher: Pomegranate Kids, 2019
ISBN: 0764984357
Water wakes. Wildlife greets the day and finds shelter, safety, and fun on the river in this lyrical, ecologically oriented counting book.
Purchase here
Books illustrated:
Harmony Humbolt: The Perfect Pets Queen
Author: Jenna Grodzicki
Publisher: Clear Fork, 2021
ISBN: 1950169553
Harmony Humbolt had a colossal collection of Perfect Pets. To everyone else, they might just be stuffed animals, but to Harmony they are EVERYTHING. Harmony hates leaving them home when she goes to school, so she figures out how to share them with her friends . . . with the right rules in place to keep them safe. Can Harmony let go of her strict rules to enjoy both her perfect pets and her friends?
