I think this might be my favorite Moomin book so far. It's the fourth I've read. It's midsummer in Moomin Valley and Snuffkin has yet to return from his winter adventures. Moomintroll is missing him terribly. But, the local volcano erupts and causes a stir in the ground, or something, which causes t...
I ran across this book and I supposed that the Gods were telling me to read it again. It is generally considered one of the best Moomin books, although I would only rank it myself somewhere in the middle. However, as I think Tove Jansson is a genius that means that the book is still an excellent b...
Tales from Moominvalley is well, a collection of short stories. :D BUT one of them is about Christmas. “The Fir Tree.” And if I could give more than five stars to this short story, I would. All the stars for “The Fir Tree.” :D My synopsis: since the Moomins and most of their friends hibernate al...
Lyrical, philosophical, beautiful. I have re-read this book aloud to my boys almost every winter since the oldest was 4. This book never fails to capture the mood of winter and is a beautiful parable about accepting life as it is and not as you want it to be. What makes this book really stand out ar...
Among warm and comforting books for children, this has to be one of the warmest. It takes its character from Moominmamma, who greets every new event (however seemingly problematic) as a delightful experience; for instance, when a rising sea floods her house, she's charmed by how unfamiliar the kitch...
I've got to say, I know genius when I see it, and this is it. Jansson put her quietly strange imagination to work in the service of invoking kindly emotions amazingly effectively. These stories are really touching, and I say that as someone who hates sentimentality -- sentimental they aren't. They c...
This book has the best footnotes.A displaced hedgehog is a hedgehog that has been removed from its home against its will and not even had time to pack its toothbrush.And a bit later on, when we are so sad because squirrel is dead, the most comforting footnote I've ever read:In case the reader feels ...
Review is up at Green Man Review
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