The Moomins and the Great Flood
by Tove Jansson, re-published in English 2018; in Finnish in 1945
“At first Moominmamma was frightened too, but then she said soothingly: “It’s really a very little creature. Wait, and I’ll shine a light on it. Everything looks worse in the dark, you know.”
I read and reviewed a few Moomintroll children’s books a few years ago on this website. However, this children’s book appeared in the library’s new section. Intrigued, I discovered it was actually the first Moomintroll book ever written by the author. It seemed important to read the beginning of this prolific and imagination collection of children’s book. I was not disappointed. In some ways, I like this small book better than the others I read.
There’s not that much depth in the Moomintroll children’s book. Rather, it’s just a short stroll into imagination and relationships and simple adventures. It makes a perfect read-aloud for a bedtime story, a nice alternatives to fairies. Reading a chapter a night to 6- and 7-year-olds, who might find the vocabulary challenging, could be fun. And it’s an easy read for 8-year-olds. After that, it’s may be too tame for the older children.
The charm of this Moomintroll book, in addition to the simple plot, is the delightful line drawings, which are the hallmark of Tove Jansson, who is both the author and the illustrator. In fact, these children’s books would hardly work without the illustrations, as who could possibly imagine what a moomintroll really looked like.
So if you haven’t read any Moomintroll children’s books, I suggest your children begin with this one, and then decide if they want more or not. Perhaps they will be hooked, in a good way.
Other Moomintroll books:
