Most Popular Books by Tove Jansson

Feeling his family''s life is too safe and fixed, Moominpappa moves them to a lighthouse on an island to lead a life full of troubles, and indeed they find many mysteries in that lonely place.

Tove Jansson''s first book for adults drew on her childhood memories to capture afresh the enchantments and fears of growing up in Helsinki in the nineteen tens and twenties. Described as both a memoir and ''a book of superb stories'' by Ali Smith, her startlingly evocative prose offers a glimpse of the mysteries of winter ice, the bonhomie of balalaika parties, and the vastness of Christmas viewed from beneath the tree.

Moominmamma and Moomintroll need to find a home for the winter, someplace where sun is plentiful and safe from the dangers of the unknown. But before they can settle down, they must cross a dark and sinister forest and find their way through a flood of epic proportions, all the while hoping that they will find Moominpappa again. Their journey seems daunting but they forge ahead, with Moominmamma’s kindness and patience giving Moomin the courage he needs to face the strange, unexplored path that lies ahead of them. Written during the 1939-40 Finnish-Soviet Union conflict, or The Winter War, Jansson uses the unusual setting of a natural catastrophe to provide the background of her first children’s book and the first appearance of her beloved Moomin characters. She wrote this as her escape from the horrors of war and its many consequences, but rather than avoiding the problems that war raises, she uses these as a basis for the many obstacles that the characters face, from separated families to forced displacement. With beautiful black and white artwork interspersed throughout the text and curious, playful prose, you find yourself rooting for the Moomins and their quest to find Moominpappa and a place to call home.

Tove Jansson''s Moomin characters and books are admired the world over. In the United States the series beginning with Finn Family Moomintroll (first published in English in 1945) has accumulated generations of fans. Since Farrar, Straus and Giroux began reissuing the books in 1989, grateful readers old and new have been thrilled to have the stories available again. At last the final installment is being published – oddly, the only book that features none of the Moomin family themselves, though it does take place at their house. There familiar characters converge – Snufkin, the Hemulen, Fillyjonk, and others – seeking out the Moomins'' welcoming company, only to find them absent. All remain at the house, all have very different personalities that clash often, but something about their homey cohabitation during the icy winter changes each visitor in a gratifying way. As The Times Literary Supplement put it, Moominvalley in November is "possibly the cleverest of the Moomin books."

9 stories about the Moomins and their friends. Grades 4-6.

The enchanting comic strip that introduced adult readers to the wonderful world of Moomin Tove Jansson is revered around the world as one of the foremost children''s authors of the twentieth century for her illustrated chapter books regarding the magical worlds of her creation, the Moomins. The Moomins saw life in many forms but debuted to its biggest audience ever on the pages of world''s largest newspaper the London Evening News, in 1954. The strip was syndicated in newspapers around the world with millions of readers in 40 countries. Moomin Book One is the first volume of Drawn & Quarterly publishing plan to reprint the entire strip drawn by Jansson before she handed over the reigns to her brother Lars in 1960. This is the first time the strip will be published in any form in North America and will deservedly place Jansson among the international cartooning greats of the last century. The Moomins are a tight-knit family — hippo-shaped creatures with easygoing and adventurous outlooks. Jansson''s art is pared down and precise, yet able to compose beautiful portraits of ambling creatures in fields of flowers or rock-strewn beaches that recall Jansson''s Nordic roots. The comic strip reached out to adults with its gentle and droll sense of humor. Whimsical but with biting undertones, Jansson''s observations of everyday life, including guests who overstay their welcome, modern art, movie stars, and high society, easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today.

In the bitter winds of autumn 1963, Tove Jansson, helped by Brunström, a maverick fisherman, raced to build a cabin on a treeless skerry in the Gulf of Finland. The island was Klovharun, and for thirty summers Tove and her beloved partner, the graphic artist, Tuulikki Pietilä, retreated there to live, paint and write, energised by the solitude and shifting seascapes. Notes from an Island, published in English for the first time, is both a chronicle of this period and a homage to the mature love that Tove and ''Tooti'' shared for their island and for each other. Tove''s spare prose, and Tuulikki''s subtle washes and aquatints combine to form a work of meditative beauty. ''... Tooti wandered aimlessly around the island and stood stock still for long periods. I thought I knew what she was doing. She was working again. Copperplate etchings and wash drawings. Mostly the lagoon, the lagoon as a consummate mirror for clouds and birds, the lagoon in a storm, in fog. And the granite, first and foremost, the granite, the cliff, the rocks. It''s all peace and quiet now.''

Moomintroll and his friends, Snufkin and Sniff, find a hat with magical powers.

Moomintroll wakes in the middle of winter and encounters strange cold-weather creatures.

In The Summer Book Tove Jansson distills the essence of the summer—its sunlight and storms—into twenty-two crystalline vignettes. This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.” In The Summer Book, Jansson creates her own complete world, full of the varied joys and sorrows of life. Tove Jansson, whose Moomintroll comic strip and books brought her international acclaim, lived for much of her life on an island like the one described in The Summer Book, and the work can be enjoyed as her closely observed journal of the sounds, sights, and feel of a summer spent in intimate contact with the natural world. The Summer Book is translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal.

A New York Review Books Original Winner of the 2009 Bernard Shaw Prize for Translation Fair Play is the type of love story that is rarely told, a revelatory depiction of contentment, hard-won and exhilarating. Mari is a writer and Jonna is an artist, and they live at opposite ends of a big apartment building, their studios connected by a long attic passageway. They have argued, worked, and laughed together for decades. Yet they’ve never really stopped taking each other by surprise. Fair Play shows us Mari and Jona’s intertwined lives as they watch Fassbinder films and Westerns, critique each other’s work, spend time on a solitary island (recognizable to readers of Jansson’s The Summer Book), travel through the American Southwest, and turn life into nothing less than art.

When Moomintroll learns that a comet will be passing by, he and his friend Sniff travel to the Observatory on the Lonely Mountains to consult the Professors. Along the way, they have many adventures, but the greatest adventure of all awaits them when they learn that the comet is headed straight for their beloved Moominvalley.

"I find myself talking to you about all the great joys, all the agonies, all my thoughts..." Letter to Eva Konikova, 1946 Out of the thousands of letters Tove Jansson wrote a cache remains that she addressed to her family, her dearest confidantes, and her lovers, male and female. Into these she spilled her innermost thoughts, defended her ideals and revealed her heart. To read these letters is both an act of startling intimacy and a rare privilege. Penned with grace and humour, Letters from Tove offers an almost seamless commentary on Tove Jansson''s life as it unfolds within Helsinki''s bohemian circles and her island home. Spanning fifty years between her art studies and the height of Moomin fame, we share with her the bleakness of war; the hopes for love that were dashed and renewed, and her determined attempts to establish herself as an artist. Vivid, inspiring and shining with integrity, Letters from Tove shows precisely how an aspiring and courageous young artist can evolve into a very great one.

A flood hits Moomin Valley and triggers a series of adventures for the Moomins. Illustrations.

Tonight everyone in Moominvalley will be going to the Autumn Ball and Moomintroll and Sniff are busy helping with preparations. But when they discover an extraordinary golden leaf on the forest floor, will they be able to find a tree full of golden leaves and give each of the valley folk a gift they''ll always treasure?

The second book in a brand-new read-aloud board book series for the youngest Moomin fans! Moomin is feeling glum - his best friend Snufkin has gone away for the winter, and nothing is any fun without him. Luckily Moomin''s other friends are there to help him feel less lonely until Snufkin returns. With gorgeous illustrations and a soothing story, this is the perfect book to celebrate friendship. More beautiful Moomin books: My First Moomin: Goodnight Moomin Moomin and the Wishing Star Moomin and the Birthday Button Moomin: The Very BIG Moominhouse Lift-the-Flap Book

If you haven''t met a Moomin yet, you''re missing the most magical fun . . . It''s winter in Moominvalley and the Moomin family are deep in their Long Winter Sleep, waiting for the sound of Too-Ticky''s barrel organ to rouse them, as it did every spring. But when a mysterious ratta-tattle wakes Moomintroll with a start, will he be brave enough to investigate the noise on his own? And what surprises will he find if he does venture outside?

In the second volume of Tove Jansson''s humorous yet melancholic Moomin comic strip, we get four new stories about jealousy, competition, childrearing, and self-reinvention. The Moomins try to hibernate in the fashion of their ancestors but insomnia places them smack dab into a winter carnival with the winter-sports loving Mr. Brisk. The fickle and eternally lovestruck Mymble and Snorkmaiden find themselves in competition over a thrilling new man. Moominmamma meets her new neighbor, the Fillyjonk, causing her to hire the depressed and secretive Misabel as her new maid. Mymble''s mother arrives on the Moomin family''s doorstep with her seventeen new children. Finally, a prophet arrives on the scene declaring that the happy Moomins are in fact not happy at all and need to get back to nature and be free. Moomin, of course, becomes more and more miserable the freer he gets. Jansson is revered around the world as one of the foremost children''s authors of the twentieth century for her illustrated Moomin chapter books. The Drawn & Quarterly reprint series collects, for the first time in North America, Jansson''s internationally syndicated Moomin comic strip that debuted in the London Evening News in 1954.

Deception—the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we tell others—is the subject of this, Tove Jansson’s most unnerving and unpredictable novel. Here Jansson takes a darker look at the subjects that animate the best of her work, from her sensitive tale of island life, The Summer Book, to her famous Moomin stories: solitude and community, art and life, love and hate. Snow has been falling on the village all winter long. It covers windows and piles up in front of doors. The sun rises late and sets early, and even during the day there is little to do but trade tales. This year everybody’s talking about Katri Kling and Anna Aemelin. Katri is a yellow-eyed outcast who lives with her simpleminded brother and a dog she refuses to name. She has no use for the white lies that smooth social intercourse, and she can see straight to the core of any problem. Anna, an elderly children’s book illustrator, appears to be Katri’s opposite: a respected member of the village, if an aloof one. Anna lives in a large empty house, venturing out in the spring to paint exquisitely detailed forest scenes. But Anna has something Katri wants, and to get it Katri will take control of Anna’s life and livelihood. By the time spring arrives, the two women are caught in a conflict of ideals that threatens to strip them of their most cherished illusions.

Tove Jansson takes us on a beautifully illustrated and delightfully quirky journey through Moominvalley, perfectly capturing the experience and its emotional impact as seen through the innocent eyes of Susanna, who is bored with her life: Her cat is too content; her surroundings, too gentle. She craves adventure when there is none to be had. But when a new pair of glasses appears in front of her, she gets an opportunity to live the bold life that she has always longed for as her surroundings are transformed into a dark and sinister landscape. At first Susanna is afraid, but then her daring side takes over and she moves forward to an unknown destination, seeing some familiar faces along the way. Combating everything from an exploding volcano to a fierce winter storm, from mysterious monsters to stormy seas, Susanna and her newfound friends are given the adventure of a lifetime. With subtle existential themes, a lyrical rhythm, and delicate watercolor illustrations, The Dangerous Journey captures the curiosity of children and adults alike. Published for the first time in North America, and the last picture book completed by the world-renowned Jansson, The Dangerous Journey pushes the emotions that underlie our nostalgia out into the open with an unparalleled viewpoint that always brings forth a new perspective. Take this fantastical journey to Moominvalley and never look back.

The Moomin family and their friends are the delightful creation of Tove Jansson, and are full of a particular humour and magic that has enchanted generations of children and adults alike. Using the author''s original characters and artwork, Moomin and the Birthday Button is part of a stunning new range of children''s titles launching in the year of the Moomins'' 65th anniversary celebrations. In this, the first of a new series of picture books, Moomintroll wakes up full of excitement. It''s his birthday! But when it appears that his friends have forgotten all about his special day, Moomintroll is very upset. Even Moominmamma finds it hard to comfort him! Then there''s a knock at the door . . . Who can it be, and what will happen next?

A brilliant Touch and Feel Playbook, based on Tove Jansson''s Moomins With plenty for little hands to touch and feel on every page, this brilliant playbook is a perfect introduction to first words, numbers, weather, opposites and colours. Tove Jansson was born in Helsingfors, Finland, in 1914. Her mother was a caricaturist who designed 165 of Finland''s stamps and her father was a sculptor. She studied painting in Finland, Sweden and France, and subsequently became a book illustrator. Her extraordinary illustrative style is seen as a design classic the world over. Originally written in Swedish, the Moomintroll books have been translated into over 40 languages and adapted for television, film, radio and opera. Tove Jansson lived alone on a small island in the gulf of Finland, where most of her books were written. She died in 2001.

The rich seam that is Jansson''s adult prose continues with this penultimate collection of short stories, written in her seventies at the height of her Moomin fame and translated into English for the first time. In these light-footed, beautifully crafted yet disquieting stories, Jansson tells of discomfiting encounters, unlooked for connections and moments of isolation that span generations and decades. Letters From Klara proves yet again her mastery of this literary form.

Special Collectors'' Edition lovingly restored to its original stunning design.

Moomin has been swiftly making its way into the hearts of North Americans ever since Drawn & Quarterly began collecting the strip in 2006. It debuted in the London Evening News in 1954 and has become the fastest-selling D+Q series to date. Fifty years ago, Jansson''s observations of everyday life — whimsical but with biting undertones — easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today. This third volume returns to Moominvalley, where its beloved inhabitants get tangled up in five new stories. Moomin falls in love with a damsel in distress, an unseasonably warm spell turns the valley into a tropical rainforest, and a flying saucer crashes into Moominmamma''s garden. Moominpappa decides to live out his dream of occupying a lighthouse and writing a great seaside novel, only to discover that he hates the sea so close up and has no interest in writing about it, and a variety of curious clubs spring up in the valley. Moomin and Moominmamma do their level best to avoid the whole mess but, of course, get drawn into the muddle.

Enhanced with Tove Jansson''s simple, sprightly drawings, this series of delightful stories about life in Moomin Valley has enchanted audiences around the world for more than 70 years. Before he had a family, Moominpappa led a life of adventure and intrigue. But he''s never told his story until now. He has a bad cold, and it''s the perfect time to remember his youthful endeavors and to ponder the experiences which have made him the remarkable Moomin he is.

''Beautifully crafted and deceptively simple-seeming, these stories are like pieces of scattered light.'' Ali Smith Following the widely acclaimed and bestselling The Summer Book, here is A Winter Book collection of some of Tove Jansson''s best loved and most famous stories. Drawn from youth and older age, and spanning most of the twentieth century, this newly translated selection provides a thrilling showcase of the great Finnish writer''s prose, scattered with insights and home truths. It has been selected and is introduced by Ali Smith. A Winter Book features 13 stories from Tove Jansson''s first book for adults, The Sculptor''s Daughter (1968) plus seven of her most cherished later stories (from 1971 to 1996), translated into English and published here for the first time.

An exquisitely illustrated retelling of Tove Jansson''s classic story The Fir Tree, in which the Moomins are awakened from their Long Winter Sleep to be told that Christmas is coming. The only trouble is, the Moomins have no idea who--or what--Christmas is. As the Moomins prepare for Christmas, they learn what Christmas is really about.

In her first ever story collection, Jansson revealed the clarity of vision and light philosophical touch that were to become her hallmark. From the good listener who begins to betray the secrets confided to her, to vignettes of a city storm or the slow halting of spring, these stories are gifts of originality and depth.

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. Moomin and the Hat, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages. Moomintroll, Snufkin and Sniff find a magic hat. It can make berry-juice and clouds! But who owns the hat - and are they looking for it? Visit the Penguin Readers website Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

The iconic first Moomin comic strip by Tove Jansson, full of adventure, schemes, and romance Moomin’s pushy relations have come to stay, and in the process of getting them out, he unwittingly embarks on a quest for fame and fortune with his sly friend Sniff. But it’s much harder to get rich than either of them expects, whether it’s through selling rare creatures to the zoo, using a fortune-teller to find treasures, or making modern art. Through a stroke of luck, however, Moomin meets the love of his life, Snorkmaiden, and with her help he finds the self-confidence he needs to get his house back. The iconic first Moomin comic strip by Tove Jansson, Moomin and the Brigands is a thrilling introduction to the vibrant inhabitants of Moominvalley we’ve come to know and love.

This newly translated collection of stories brilliantly evokes the shifting scenes and restlessness of summer. A professor arrives in a beautiful Spanish village only to find that her host has left and she must cope with fractious neighbours alone; a holiday on a Finnish Island is thrown into disarray when a disconcerting young boy arrives; an artist returns to an old flat to discover that her life has been eerily usurped. Philosophical and profound, but with the deceptive lightness that is her hallmark, Travelling Light is guaranteed to surprise and transport.

A warm and beautifully illustrated picture book to treasure, The Invisible Guest in Moominvalley introduces Moomin fans old and new to the classic tale in which the Moomins are visited by Too-ticky and her invisible companion.

Moomin is searching everywhere for Snufkin, but he is nowhere to be seen. Where could he be? Follow the finger trails on every page to explore Moominvalley and help Moomin find his best friend! Tove Jansson was born in Helsingfors, Finland, in 1914. Her mother was a caricaturist who designed 165 of Finland''s stamps and her father was a sculptor. She studied painting in Finland, Sweden and France, and subsequently became a book illustrator. Her extraordinary illustrative style is seen as a design classic the world over. Originally written in Swedish, the Moomintroll books have been translated into 34 languages and adapted for television, radio and opera. Tove Jansson lived alone on a small island in the gulf of Finland, where most of her books were written. She died in 2001.

The Moomins enjoy an ice festival as winter hits Moominvalley. Moomintroll and his family are getting ready for the Long Winter Sleep. But before their slumber, they are invited to the Moominvalley Ice Festival. Will they be able to travel through the winter snow to spend time with their friends? The Moomins are celebrating a major revival. These contemporary editions of the classic tales, in which Moomintroll goes on adventures with his friends and family in the winter, are a joy for all Moomin fans as well as those just discovering this extraordinary world. Gently exploring the nature of friendship, these are picture books for all ages.