Kadri Hinrikus

Children's stories

Kadri Hinrikus (b. 22. VI 1970) is a children’s author and journalist.

She graduated from the Tallinn Pedagogical Institute (now the University of Tallinn) specialising in stage direction in 1992. She has worked as a news editor and programme director at Kuku Raadio, TV1 and ETV. Since 2019 she has been editor of the magazine Täheke. She has been a member of the Writers’ Union since 2014.

Hinrikus came to children’s literature with the personal memory-based books Miia ja Friida (‘Mia and Frida’, 2008) and Kui emad olid väikesed (‘When Mums Were Small’, 2009) which tell from experience what it is like to be a child in different generations. The plots of Hinrikus’ warm and friendly children’s books are mostly set in contemporary times, dealing with various current topics, such as the award-winning Katariina ja herned (‘Katarina and the Peas’, 2017), dealing with the break-up of a family and the problems of a foster-family, and the ever greater influence of smart technology on human relationships. In the book Taaniel Teine (‘Daniel the Second’, 2015), because his parents are working abroad Taaniel lives with his grandfather, who tries to support the boy in every way. The issues of coping for a brother and sister who live with their father after their mother dies are treated in Et head haldjad sind hoiaksid (‘May Good Fairies Look After You’, 2012). Instead of children as the central figures, animals appear as the protagonists in stories, such as the view of the world of dogs in Taks ja Dogi (‘Dachshund and Mastiff’, 2020).

Apart from realistic stories, Hinrikus has also written literary fairy tales, such as Ära muretse mu pärast (‘Don’t Worry about Me’, 2018).

Hinrikus has been awarded the Good Children’s Book prize for Et head haldajad sind hoiaksid and Katariina ja herned. Katariina ja herned also won the Tartu children’s book award. The International Youth Library, Internationale Jugendbibliothek, has chosen for ‘The White Ravens’, its catalogue of children’s books, Et head haldajad sind hoiaksid and Taaniel Teine.

A. K. (Translated by C. M.)



Books in Estonian

Children’s literature
Miia ja Friida. Tallinn: Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastus, 2008, 159 lk.
Kui emad olid väikesed. Tallinn: Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastus, 2009, 96 lk.
Põmmu, Podsu ja teised sõbrad. Tallinn: Eesti Ajalehed, 2010, 47 lk.
Et head haldjad sind hoiaksid. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2012, 102 lk. [järgnevad trükid: 2013, 2017.]
Konnade mäss. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2014, 25 lk.
Suur maailmareis. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2015, 63 lk.
Taaniel Teine. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2015, 108 lk.
Sandra 12 kuud. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2016, 53 lk.
Katariina ja herned. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2017, 75 lk.
Ära muretse mu pärast. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2018, 66 lk.
Millest sa unistad? Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2019, 72 lk.
Tohuvabohu. Tallinn: Tallinna Keskraamatukogu, 2019, 48 lk.
Taks ja Dogi. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2020, 70 lk.

Miscellaneous
Sõna vägi on suurem kui sõjavägi. Tallinn: Koolibri, 2018, 44 lk.