Bear and Fox: The Northern Trail picture book tells a story of forest animals looking for winter. I got the idea of a story about a bear trying to find snow after illustrating an article on species extinction for the Helsinki University magazine.

Another illustration I made for the magazine was on the endeavour of conservation of the endangered Saimaa ringed seal in Eastern Finland. The animal needs snow to build a nest for its pups, and volunteers help by shovelling it on their nests. Even transferring seals to a lake in Lapland, northern Finland, has been suggested.
Helsingin Sanomat daily newspaper described how birds in Finland migrate every year 1,6 km north. I wanted to create a story about striving together to build a better life for everyone. The story is about adaptation and friendship and trying to adapt to climate change.

The story of Bear & Fox was first published as a sticker book in Finnish in 2018 and a picture book in 2019 in Finnish and Estonian, and 2022 in Korean. The story is also adapted to Sámi, a Lapp indigenous language as an ebook and a mobile game.
I hope you enjoy reading my story of the adventure of Bear and Fox and their friends!

– Ulla Sainio
author, illustrator