A fantastic books that tells of the lives of the lovely Finn Family Moomintroll and the numerous friends that seem to live with them.
This book is a delight - the characters are all wacky yet loving and kind; each has their own distinct character and quirks; there are some great messages about life, the universe and everything but Jansson just puts them in there as a matter of course rather than feeling the need to obviously sermonise or point things out. Essentially - if you go with the flow, help others out, try to have fun but be nice to your fellow beings (whatever they may be) life will probably turn out for the best. ( )

A collection of short stories, many of which feature the mystical Magician's Hat. The stories are wildly imaginative, more "out there" than the previous books, conveying a sense that anything can happen in Moominwalley. The Moomins always tend to find a positive side of things, which on one hand keeps the story appropriately light -- that is, after all, what the Moomins are all about. On the other hand, short stories like this can seem a bit inconsequential.

What stuck to my mind were, a lot of wacky humor that I loved, some sarcastic dialogue (it surprised me, had to re-read some lines), some hidden-message-like random thoughts on gender issues, and a strange paragraph on Moominpappa's memoirs, on how he "will have revenge". ( )

Finn Family Moomintroll is one of a series of delightful books by Tove Jansson now available in translation. Distinctly Scandinavian in feel the book is unlike anything I have read in children’s literature. The stories focus on the Moominfamily (Moominpapa, Moominmama, and Moomintroll) and their extended family of guests who came to live with them and never left, Sniff, Snuffkin and the Muskrat (the philosopher). They have episodic adventures with their neighbors the Snork and the Snorkmaiden (who look remarkably like the moomins) The Moomintrolls are illustrated to look rather like small hippopotamuses.

The author takes an informational tone sometimes offering footnotes on the Moomintroll homes or customs. The chapters are short tales that connect to one another which makes them ideal for reading aloud. (Think of the short chapter adventures of Paddington Bear as an analogy.) All of the fantastical things that occur are portrayed as perfectly normal in Moominland. What is most enticing about the tales are the charming illustrations and the feeling that reading about Moominland creates; it is at once otherworldly and very much in tune with nature. While the adventures are exciting there is never a sense of overwhelming danger, which give the series gentleness. This volume involves the mysterious and potentially threatening Hobgoblin but even his interaction with the residents of Moominland turns out to be surprisingly generous.

Smaller children who enjoy fanciful books will like to have these stories read aloud and older children and the adults who read these stories will find humor in the footnotes or the “philosophy” of the Muskrat. These are clearly Scandinavian classics that have not yet reached a wider audience in America. ( )

My favourite book in this excellent series for primary school children. I still enjoyed it when I was too old for it - I remember re-reading it when I was as old as 11!

I read it so many times, my copy (which I still have) is falling apart and looks mangled enough that if someone said it had been through a washing machine, you would have to believe it!

Bought this series for my daughter too, and she loves it. (I didn't give her my mangled copy!) ( )

The wonderful moomins. i first discovered them at 8 years old, during reading hour at school, when I chose a dull looking book with no cover. Absolute magic within. I was captivated and have remained so. The subtle blend of humour, whimsy and a touch of real fear are hard to beat. The books also have a feel of sadness about them even when things are at their gayest. A good read for anytime of year, but especially curled up in Winter, like the Moomins themselves. ( )