Juhani Püttsepp
Juhani Püttsepp (b. 17. II 1964) is a children’s author and nature writer.
He was born and educated in Tartu, and graduated in biology from the Tartu State University. He worked at the Institute of Zoology and Botany of the University of Tartu, on several journals, and directed the Tartu Children’s Theatre. He is the organiser of the natural sciences after-school program for the high school students at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
Nature, the relationship between man and nature, local, sometimes folklore-based subject matter and the relations between generations are at the centre of what Püttsepp has written for children. His works skilfully blend reality and the fabulous, presenting human, animal and puppet protagonists in a lively and warm way.
His first stories intended for children appeared in the nineties; the material for his first children’s book, Kunstniku Johannese kummalised lood (‘The Strange Stories of Johannes the Artist’, 1994) is taken from his own family background. Anni, a puppet from the Tartu Children’s Theatre, who made a trip around the world with a travel company called Rolling Estonia, tells stories form different countries and people in the book Anni rännuteel (‘Anni’s Travels’, 2005). The reader meets Anni again in the Toad täis nukkude juttu (‘Roomfuls of Doll Stories’, 2011), at the centre of which are stories of one family’s dolls.
The author’s observations about nature are found for example in the book 49 aastaega (‘49 Seasons’, 2003), about young animals and humans in Väikese hundi lood (‘Stories of a Little Wolf’, 2009, 1st place in the Knee-High Book competition (Põlvepikuraamatu konkurss)) and Mustad linnud (‘Black Birds’, 2016, the Good Children’s Book award), a narrative about various black-coloured birds. The continuous hubbub of contemporary urban life, frightening for children, is the subject of the book Tsss… Kuula! (‘Shhh… Listen!’, 2013).
The central character of the book Gibraltari laevakoerte ühing (‘The Society of Gibraltar Ships’ Dogs’, 2015, 1st place in the ‘My first book’ children’s story competition, Good Children’s Book award, in 2016 also entered on the list of honourable mentions by IBBY - the International Board on Books for Young People), with its gripping narrative and colourful characters, is a fox-furred dog, who is not made to speak or behave like a human in other ways, as is usual in children’s literature, but remains an animal, revealed through description. The work offers a lively insight into the inner life of a city and its animals.
On kuu kui kuldne laev (‘The Moon is Like a Golden Ship’, 2020, third place in the ‘My First Book’ children’s story competition, the Raisin of the Year Award, the Good Children’s Book award, the Literature Endowment Annual Award, the Virumaa Literature Prize) touches on a hitherto rare subject in children’s literature – the Estonians’ escape across a stormy sea to Swedish exile in 1944. Tragic and difficult events are described in an assured way, from a child’s viewpoint. The framework for the story is the retrospective narrative of a surviving woman on her childhood experiences.
Other works by Püttsepp have also won awards. For example, in 2002 the second-third prize in the Estonian Theatre Agency’s competition for children’s and young people’s plays was won by Kärt; in 2017 the Clear Message award went to Mina olen enda oma (‘I Am My Own’, 2017).
A. K. (Translated by C. M.)
Books in Estonian
Short prose
49 aastaaega: miniatuurid. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2003, 77 lk
Children’s literature
Kunstnik Johannese kummalised lood. 1. Villased sokid: jutt väikelastele. Tartu, 1994, 15 lk.
Kirsiõiedetsember: jõulujutt õhtuseks lugemiseks. Tartu, 1995, 21 lk.
Musta habemega kapten: jutud. Tartu: Elmatar, 1998, 26 lk.
Veskitont Niglas: jutt lastele, kes põevad astmat ja nendele, kes hoiavad pöialt, et lapsed terveks saaks. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2001, 62 lk.
Kunstnik Johannese üpris kummalised lood. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2004, 18 lk.
Anni rännuteel: jutt. Turi: Saara Kirjastus, 2005, 47 lk.
Lauajupi Madonna: jutustus sõprade leidmisest pudeliposti abil. Tartu: Hermes, 2009, 103 lk.
Väikese hundi lood. Tallinn: Päike ja Pilv, 2009, 30 lk.
Minu vanaema Kirjak: tarkuseteri Eesti Maaülikoolist. Tartu: Eesti Maaülikool, 2011, 18 lk.
Toad täis nukkude juttu. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2011, 128 lk.
Vapramäe Vapu. Nõo: Vapramäe-Vellavere-Vitipalu Sihtasutus, 2012, 36 lk.
Tsss… Kuula!. Tallinn: Päike ja Pilv, 2013, 32 lk.
Juhani jutte. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2014, 119 lk.
Liulood. Tabasalu: Dolce Press, 2014, 33 lk.
Gibraltari laevakoerte ühing. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2015, 230 lk.
Lugu väikesest tammepuust, vihast ja varesest. Tartu: Tähtvere Avatud Naistekeskus, 2015, 48 lk.
Doktor Haldja lood. Tartu: Postimees Grupp, 2016, 135 lk.
Mustad linnud. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2016, 37 lk.
Vanaema, kes muutus kutsikaks. Tabasalu: Dolce Press, 2016, 33 lk.
Kodu täis nukkude jutte. Tartu: J. Püttsepp, 2017, 123 lk.
On kuu kui kuldne laev. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2020, 133 lk.
Tsillokõsõ soe jutu. Võro: Võro Instituut, 2020, 29 lk.
Miscellaneous
Portreed Tallinna loomaaiast: ajakirjale „Lemmik“ kirjutatud lood. Tallinn: Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastus, 2008, 150 lk.
Sammud omas Eestis: Loodusesõbras 2005-2009 ilmunud artiklisarjade põhjal. Tallinn: Loodusajakiri, 2012, 95 lk.
Mina olen enda oma. Tallinn: Lastekaitse Liit, 2017, 40 lk.
Eesti looduskaitse 100 aastat. Tallinn: Post Factum, 2018, 206 lk.
Eesti rahvusmaastikud sõnas ja pildis. Tallinn: Eesti Looduskaitse Selts, 2018, 106 lk.
Alam-Pedja lood. Elva: Mariekuld, 2019, 207 lk.
Metsa-aabits. Tartu: Metsahoiu Sihtasutus, 2020, 71 lk.