Great Estonians: Heljo Mänd 100

Heljo Mänd was a beloved children's author and poet whose work has accompanied generations of Estonian children. Born in Narva, Heljo became one of the city’s best-known writers, her warm and playful language opening a doorway into the world of literature for young readers. Her stories, song lyrics, and poems continue to express sincerity, imagination, and childlike joy—qualities that will speak to readers even in the 22nd century. Heljo Mänd enriched Estonian children’s culture with her unique voice and helped shape values and ways of thinking that encourage dreaming, noticing kindness, and cherishing the Estonian language. Her legacy lives on in the stories that have become an inseparable part of Estonia’s literary and cultural identity.