Welcome to Snupsi’s World!

Hi there! As you’ve probably guessed, the person holding the book in the picture is me, Hanno Parksepp, and the happy bunch sitting on the table—Snupsi and his friends—are the characters from that book. This entire website is dedicated to introducing you to the whimsical world of “Snupsi” and sharing how, step by step, it came to life.

I plan to write (and maybe vlog!) about all these tiny characters separately, explaining their unique personalities and the moments in the story when they appear. So, you might wonder: why dedicate a whole website to a blue little fellow and his friends? Well, ever since Snupsi was published in 2015, I’ve seen how much kids love the story, my sculpted characters, and the plush toy itself. It’s wonderful how some were inspired by my work—or maybe they just loved cuddling the plush Snupsi! Back then, I didn’t even have a website or Facebook page, so here I am, making sure you get to meet Snupsi and his friends, no matter your age!

This space is for you—to explore, read, or even write to me about anything you’d like to learn more about. I’ve recently bought a proper mic, so I might try recording parts of the book for you to listen to! Oh, and here’s something cool: I’ve got a laser 3D printer, which means I can bring your favorite characters to life as figurines. I plan to display the hand-painted creations here and might even open a tiny shop someday!

A Little About Me

Oops, I just realized I haven’t really introduced myself yet—apart from my name! My apologies if this isn’t quite the formal introduction you expected. I was born in Tallinn, Estonia way back in the 70s, about the time Earth, Wind & Fire’s hit song “September” was topping the charts. Though that tune probably didn’t make it to Soviet radio, life wasn’t entirely dull during the iron curtain era. One bright spot was TV, especially Finnish broadcasts we could catch along Estonia’s northern coast.

Now, Soviet TVs didn’t show Finnish broadcasts in color, but with a little tinkering (which wasn’t exactly legal, but hey, nobody got arrested), we adjusted our TV to the PAL system and finally saw true colors! Those vibrant images fascinated me, and I became completely enchanted by cartoons and animations like the Muppets, Peanuts, Garfield, Smurfs, and Moomies. Inspired, I started drawing and later sculpting my own characters.

My love for sculpting began when I discovered a box of plasticine cows made by my talented grandfather Johannes, a plant-breeding scientist by profession. The cows were incredibly detailed, strengthened with tiny nails hidden inside. Though I never mastered making cows, I created a pretty decent monkey face once!

Growing Up Between Radio and Strawberries

Summers were magical at Polli Experimental Station, where my grandpa worked. This tiny village with sprawling strawberry and fruit gardens felt like something out of a fairytale. Grandpa introduced new berry varieties, and his book “Marjasordid Eestis” (Berry Cultivars in Estonia) is still treasured by gardeners today.

During the school year, I often spent afternoons at the Estonian Radio building, where my mother worked as an editor for children’s programs like “Siililegi selge” (“Comprehensible even to a hedgehog”). These were iconic shows filled with fascinating stories about nature and the world. Radio dramas were hugely popular back then, and I was proud to contribute as a child actor—sometimes even reading bedtime stories!

I was lucky to have a “city granny,” Salme Reek, the legendary figure of Estonian theater, who taught me how to act and read for radio dramas. I remember playing a part where I got to curse on-air—how cool is that? Another major influence was Uncle Raivo (Raivo Järvi), a TV artist whose drawings brought characters to life in the most fascinating way.

Although Soviet plasticine had terrible colors and was oddly oily, I remained a color-picky artist, dabbling with drawing and sculpting until my teenage years pulled me away. However, as I would later learn, those worlds I loved quietly stayed within me, waiting to be rediscovered.

Snupsi’s Return

Fast forward to 2008, when my work at the Foreign Ministry took me to Belgium. Though diplomacy and law kept me busy (I hold a BA in law and an MA in diplomacy), my artistic side never faded. The captivating world of Belgian comics, and being in the birthplace of the Smurfs, took me right back to my childhood memories.

One day, my mom mentioned how brittle my old plasticine Snupsi figurine had become after 30+ years on her shelf. When visiting kids asked to play with it, she couldn’t bear giving it to them. That sparked an idea: why not turn Snupsi into a plush toy?

In less than six months, I produced 2,500 plush Snupsis (the factory’s minimum order size). What I didn’t expect was the realization that Snupsi needed a story—kids shouldn’t just wonder who this little blue fellow is or where he came from. And that’s when I began writing “Snupsi”.

So here I am, welcoming you to explore the vibrant world of Snupsi. Whether you’re here for a story, a vlog, or simply to say hello, I’m happy to share this journey with you. Enjoy your stay! 😊