Stivens fat är utan mat
(Stiven’s Dish Is Empty)
by Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander
reviewed by B.J. Woodstein
Stivens fat är utan mat (Stiven’s Dish Is Empty) is a funny, relatable and simply delightful picture book about a cat named Stiven. Stiven has a problem, namely that somehow, his dish is apparently always lacking food. Although he’s frustrated by this, Stiven knows what to do; he heads off to shout at his family members, one at a time, in order to get food from them. Each person hurries to fulfil Stiven’s desperate request, not realising that in fact someone else has already fed him, no matter what Stiven claims.
Ted Forsström, a Finland-Swedish comedian and podcaster, has managed to write an updated and funnier version of the children’s classic Six-Dinner Sid. There are well-observed descriptions – the cat is ‘a starving hippopotamus with a fluffy tail’ or he eats ’as if he’s participating in a hoovering competition’ – and the occasional rhymes make the book a pleasurable experience for reading aloud or to oneself.
The illustrations, by Åsa Lucander, are hilarious. The cat’s facial expressions in particular make readers laugh. Also, there are many exciting and funny details in each image, which engage a more attentive reader, such as the titles on books in the background. In one scene, for instance, the mother in the story is on a video call for work, and the cat decides to perch on the keyboard and show the mother’s colleagues his bottom; the looks of shock, horror and disgust are perfectly depicted.
Stivens fat är utan mat (Stiven’s dish is empty) is the second picture book Forsström and Lucander have produced together, and it will be exciting to see how their authorial relationship develops in the future. This book will be a big hit with readers, both young and old.
Stivens fat är utan mat
Förlaget, Finland 2025, 44 pages
Foreign rights: Elina Ahlbäck Agency
Ted Forsström is a Finland-Swedish comedian and podcaster. His podcast with Kaj Korkea-Aho, Ted & Kaj, is one of the biggest podcasts in Swedish-speaking Finland.
Åsa Lucander is an animator and illustrator originally from Finland and now living in the UK. She has also directed short films and music videos. Lucander and Forsström also published Snälla Stella, sluta skälla! (Please, Stella, Stop Barking!) together.