As a child, he was always painting and drawing. " was doodling before I ever talked!" explains Sami. He also loved outdoor adventures and going camping. His favorite book was Robinson Crusoe which he read many times.

Though he was sure he wanted to be an artist, Sami's parents wanted him to get a "proper job," meaning a professional position such as architect, doctor, or lawyer. "They knew that being an artist is risky, that it would be hard to make a living," he explains. But he didn't back down, and today he is recognized as a talented and successful artist. He has illustrated many children's books, including the first two books by Robert Munsch, Mud Puddle and The Dark, as well as several adult and educational books.

Sami looks to his imagination for inspiration and often draws on experiences from his travels. His trip through South America provided many references for illustrating Marisol and the Yellow Messenger, the story of a family that flees Latin America and moves to Canada. When he illustrated Kaarina and the Sugar Bag Vest, the story of a Finnish family in Canada during the Depression.

The samples shown at the left represent a very tiny cross-section of Sami's vast work.

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