Kirsi Kunnas (1924–2021) was a pioneer of modern Finnish children's literature and one of Finland's most beloved authors. Her nonsense-inspired poems, spiced with humor, have become legendary and appeal to both adults and children.

Born into an artistic family in Helsinki on December 14, 1924, Kirsi Kunnas published her first collection of poems in 1947. She began writing for children in the 1950s. Kirsi Kunnas published fairy tales, nursery rhymes, puppet plays, primers, and reading books. She also translated several children's books and poetry collections into Finnish. She began her work in children's literature by translating Hanhiemon iloinen lippaan, a collection of English nursery rhymes, into Finnish.

Kirsi Kunnas received numerous awards for her pioneering work in children's literature, including the Arvid Lydeck Prize (1973), the State Prize for Children's Culture (1996), two Topelius Prizes, and four State Literature Prizes. In 2000, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Tampere. In 2009, she was awarded the title of academician and the Finnish Writers' Union Prize.