The Moomins and the Great Flood by Jansson, Tove (2012) Hardcover Hardcover – November 1, 2012

I recently discovered the charming world of the Moomins, and was pleased to order this book. Unfortunately most of the text has a double-printed shadow which makes reading it even more difficult on the eyes after a long day. The majority of the pages have this issue.

My sons love watching the Moomins and so I decided to start a collection of the books. Love how different and bold it is, but also unique characters that all have something to learn from. My only complaint and removal of stars, was that when it arrived it wasn’t protected in the box so I was a bit damaged. It was just completely exposed, like it was carelessly tossed in there.

I just finished reading this rather short (60 pages including many full-page illustrations) story to a five year old in one sitting, and we were both enthralled. HIGHLY recommended.With her recurring Moomin characters, Jansson creates an amazingly realistic and unique emotional tone of childhood that is melancholic and comfortingly secure at the same time. Periodic frights and crises in her books are met with brave resolve both by loving, matter-of-fact Moominparents and Moominchildren who are self-assured but also well-mannered and thoughtful. There is a comparison to be made of the Babar series to the loving security of the Moomin family - but the Moomins are a bit more silly, and creative, and philosophical, more verbose, and much more sophisticated emotionally. Each of Jansson's characters displays some complexity and mystery; faults, follies, prejudices... I find it fun to talk about these nuances of character with my kiddo.In the Moomins and the Great Flood, you'll encounter a boy and his mother who together face the search for a missing parent, a frightening swamp serpent, bad weather, near disasters in boats, grumpy birds, new friends, tummy aches, dark forests, a fairy creature, and a prescient Willy Wonka** character. All ends well.There are many, many illustrations in this book. Nary a spread without at least one of Jansson's wonderful and simple line drawings. There are numerous plates with her greyscale wash paintings beautifully reproduced with multiple ink tones. The illustrations are slightly naive, a feature I enjoy in children's books as it is not intimidating for young artists. You can see where Jansson continued to evolve the physiology of her Moomins as the series went on.This particular volume in the series is the very first Moomin book for children, and lacks the caustic tone and sass of her Moomin newspaper comic strips. There is a wonderful balance in her Moomin children's books, between action and feelings.**Read on if you are a children's book nerd like myself!**Having read the Moomin series in the 1970s, my seven-year-old self probably assumed at the time that it was new. In fact this particular, seminal volume in the series was started in 1939 and finished near the end of WWII. In this book Jansson, who was (in age) a contemporary of Roald Dahl, seems to invent the character Willy Wonka, describing with her delicate pen and ink/wash drawings a lonely gentleman in a top hat who has created a fanciful man-made edible universe with rivers of lemonade and sugar grass. Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was not published until the mid-1960s. Wow! I wonder if they ever communicated, or shared some other creative connection. Jansson's characters lack the unredeemable cynicism of some of Dahl's creations. The Moomins, after all, while very anthropomorphized, are still animals mostly interacting in the natural world, whereas Dahl's protagonists are usually woefully flawed human beings.

What timeless and endearing creatures these Moomins are! My daughter and I both loved The Moomins and the Great Flood.As an American who has cast a longing eye over the Atlantic since girlhood, I found this book delightfully "Euro." Perhaps only Europe-infatuated Americans can feel the weight of this term. What I mean is that the book is quirky, surprising, atmospheric and weird, in just the right ways. My American-ness seems so pragmatic and boring when juxtaposed with such splendid Euro-hood.What really captured my imagination about The Moomins and the Great Flood is the book's wonderful quality of creating intriguing characters and landscapes that seem simultaneously sinister and safe, hostile yet inviting. I love when books do that to me, gently urge me to enter into their worlds, at my own peril, perhaps, or maybe for my own good.And the pictures! They are so wonderful. All I wanted to do was put on some ambient, slightly dissonant music and stare at them. (Again, Euro.) Tove Jansson's artwork is beguiling, and there's pretty much an image on every page.A beautiful book.

The Moomins are my all time favourite fictional characters. I used to watch the TV show as a kid, and I finally managed to read this book as an adult. It's absolutely wonderful - and tbh, Moomins see no age. The book is an enjoyable read - a good story, with well built characters & great messages. I bought it as a kindle version, which was easy to read and relaxing to the eyes. I'd also like to add that Tove Jansson's illustration is more than lovely and amazing. If you haven't read her work, you should definitely do so. If you consider buying it for yourself, for your kids or your partner - please do so, it's for everyone. All people should get familiar with The Moomins!

A beautiful book over all but it come horribly bowed

Wonderful story. So imaginative and fun. We have the whole series and can not wait to read the rest.

In this age of technology and all things different, this series offers a safe and innocent read. My older students noticed right away that the writing is simple and leaves room for their own interpretations.

Lo adoro, es una historia corta pero fantástica, con impresiones de calidad

This book is the very first Moomin book ever written (1945) and features Moomintroll, Moominmamma, Sniff and (albeit only at the end) Moominpappa, but other main characters like Snufkin or Snorkmaiden do not pop up until the second book. I have wanted this for ages and I am not in the least disappointed, as this is classic Moomins (even though the Moomins themselves look a bit thinner and taller). Comet in Moominland is usually thought of as the first in the series, this being released separately and it is debatable to some people whether this is part of the main series, but I have always firmly believed it is, and I am thrilled because now I have all nine books, all the comic strips and one picture book. Must read, period.

初期のころの作者のムーミンの挿絵が興味があって購入。痩せてて不気味だが、元々化け物だからこっちが自然なのかも。子供のころ読んだムーミンの挿絵も作者オリジナルだそうだが、こっちだって、ムーミンは不細工でアニメよりかわいくなかった。だんだん、キュートになるのは、作者の嗜好が変わったというより時代の要請なのだろうか？

I loved the Moomins as a child and you never get too old for their lessons on how to live a good life.

Hermoso libro, solo considero que se debe mejorar el embalaje