If you found a tiny golden dragon with green paws, would you know what to do with it?
Well, Moomintroll thinks he knows what to do. But when he takes his new-found pet home, things don't quite work out as planned!
Tales from Moominvalley
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“The Moomin books make for both splendid bedtime read-alouds and solitary savoring.” —"Wall Street Journal"
“Fillyjonks, Mymbles, Hemulens, Moomins, Woodies, and creeps dance through the pages, bringing a refreshingly alive, original world to life.” —"The Green Man Review"
“Beautifully written and illustrated.” —"The Sunday Times" (London)
“The books . . . belong on the shelf next to classics like "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Phantom Tollbooth."” —"Entertainment Weekly"
“A lost treasure now rediscovered . . . A surrealist masterpiece.” —Neil Gaiman
“Jansson was a genius of a very subtle kind. These simple stories resonate with profound and complex emotions that are like nothing else in literature for children or adults: intensely Nordic, and completely universal.” —Philip Pullman
“Tove Jans
About the Author
Tove Jansson was born in Finland in 1914. She began her career as a cartoonist and went on to write and illustrate many books for adults and children. She drew her first Moomin in the 1930s, just for fun, and in 1945 he became a character in a children's story. Tove became world-famous for her Moomin books which began with Comet in Moominland in 1946, closely followed by Finn Family Moomintroll and six more Moomin adventures. Tove Jansson received many prestigious awards during her lifetime, including the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal. She died in 2001, aged 87.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By moinAlex
Format:Paperback
Unlike the other books that contribute to the Moomin series proper, "Tales from Moomin Valley" is a collection of nine short stories, perhaps equal in length to a chapter in the other texts. This book, along with "Moominland Midwinter" mark the turning point in the series when Tove Jansson shifts to deeper introspection, often termed her move towards adult writing, but the book presents a series of neat cameos, fairly readily interpretable for children, drawing on principle and not so familiar characters from the established Moomin series. This comparative absence of the Moomin family leads to a greater emphasis on the ideas presented withing the book. As can be expected on the basis of the other Moomin books, emotional ties to person and place, and by contrast isolation and loneliness (and the implication of these extremes for the individual) are central themes to the book.
The book is like a series of passing acquaintances, in that each story has its meaning, and many parallels can be found between their themes, but each remains a separate passing encounter. The potential for the depth of the book's themes to leave the reader unsettled is somehow not realised, in that each story reaches a resolution, in which a fragile but workable peace with a changed set of circumstances is established, and differences of opinion are let be in favour of appreciating the ability of particularly individual individuals to nevertheless still manage to accommodate enough to maintain ties to each other.
The book is like a series of passing acquaintances, in that each story has its meaning, and many parallels can be found between their themes, but each remains a separate passing encounter. The potential for the depth of the book's themes to leave the reader unsettled is somehow not realised, in that each story reaches a resolution, in which a fragile but workable peace with a changed set of circumstances is established, and differences of opinion are let be in favour of appreciating the ability of particularly individual individuals to nevertheless still manage to accommodate enough to maintain ties to each other.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is a collection of beautiful tales which will captivate a new reader and introduce them to a wonderful world.This delightful book is also essential reading for anyone whose heart already lies in Moominvalley with Moomintroll, his friends and family! Find out who the strange Hattifattiners are and where they are heading, why the fillyjonk was afraid of disasters, the name of Snufkins new friend and how a dragon broke moomintrolls heart!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tales from Moominvalley is, as its title suggests, not a cohesive novel but a collection of nine short stories, each centering on a different character. Dedicated to Tove Janssons's niece, these stories are wonderfully universal, in that they are imaginative and wistful, but often filled with some extraordinarily deep dilemmas and themes. Jansson's clear, unsentimental writing style gives space to all of the diverse stories very well.
One of the stories is about a Filijonk who lives in a house by the sea, and cannot shake off the horrible fear that some catastrophe will soon befall her. Another, one of my favourites, is about a quiet hemulen who settles down in his aunt's abandoned park, longing for peace but not getting it when the children of Moomin Valley befriend him. Perhaps the two most well-known stories are The Invisible Child and the Christmas Tree, both stories where we follow the Moomin family as a whole, as opposed to the other stories which are far more individual-character based.
My favourite story is "The Secret of the Hattifatteners," which follows Moominpappa and is, in fact, a vital character development for him. We follow him in his longing to get away from the ordinary family life and joining the eerie, silent Hattifatteners on their cruises over the oceans. Moominpappa, always a fascinating character in my book, goes through a big change that feels very natural thanks to the masterful writing. It remains one of my favourite Moomin stories of all time.
In addition to all this, Jansson's illustrations accompany us through the pages as well. This time, however, Jansson's style was very loose and seemed to have been mostly done with thick markers. It fits the rough, warm attitude of the book very well. Tales of Moominvalley continues the road that Moominland in Midwinter set in that it's deeper and more soul-searching than the first four Moomin novels, a process that's followed through in the final two Moomin novels, where the soul-searching makes way for soul-finding. A most satisfying read, young or old at heart.
One of the stories is about a Filijonk who lives in a house by the sea, and cannot shake off the horrible fear that some catastrophe will soon befall her. Another, one of my favourites, is about a quiet hemulen who settles down in his aunt's abandoned park, longing for peace but not getting it when the children of Moomin Valley befriend him. Perhaps the two most well-known stories are The Invisible Child and the Christmas Tree, both stories where we follow the Moomin family as a whole, as opposed to the other stories which are far more individual-character based.
My favourite story is "The Secret of the Hattifatteners," which follows Moominpappa and is, in fact, a vital character development for him. We follow him in his longing to get away from the ordinary family life and joining the eerie, silent Hattifatteners on their cruises over the oceans. Moominpappa, always a fascinating character in my book, goes through a big change that feels very natural thanks to the masterful writing. It remains one of my favourite Moomin stories of all time.
In addition to all this, Jansson's illustrations accompany us through the pages as well. This time, however, Jansson's style was very loose and seemed to have been mostly done with thick markers. It fits the rough, warm attitude of the book very well. Tales of Moominvalley continues the road that Moominland in Midwinter set in that it's deeper and more soul-searching than the first four Moomin novels, a process that's followed through in the final two Moomin novels, where the soul-searching makes way for soul-finding. A most satisfying read, young or old at heart.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous
If you love the Moomins, this is for you! My daughter loves this book - she is working her way through the whole series and it has got her into reading for FUN! Highly recommend :)
Published 5 days ago by Hannah Belton
3.0 out of 5 stars
children didn't take to it
Don't know why but neither the 7yr. male nor 5yr. girl were interested.
ok seven words,seven words, seven words onwards
ok seven words,seven words, seven words onwards
Published 1 month ago by Mr. G. J. C. Smelt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Childhood memories
No matter how old I get, I will always be a Moomin fan. These stories are timeless and can be enjoyed by all ages. Read more
Published 1 month ago by N. Bolton
5.0 out of 5 stars
keeps my 9 year old happy
my 9 year old has read all these books now, so its great to discover a new writer, really great
Published 2 months ago by michaelgcasey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magic
Good old Moomins.
Perfect for children and adults who still remember the unique and magic world of the Moomins.
Love it.
Perfect for children and adults who still remember the unique and magic world of the Moomins.
Love it.
Published 2 months ago by Tomasz Tragarz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comfort reading
Tove Jansson's Moomin family have all the usual ups and downs of any family life, but what really shines through is their loyalty and total trust in each other and their friends. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jane C
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast Delivery and Book in Good condition
The delivery was very fast and the book arrived in a good condition. Thank you. Would recommend this seller 100%.
Published on 4 Nov 2010 by Vicky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tales from Moominvalley
This is a brilliant book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone out there who remembers watching the Moomins on TV when they were younger. Read more
Published on 6 April 2010 by Ms. Lynne Farrer
1.0 out of 5 stars
Tales from Moominvalley
My two sons 6 & 4 did not engage with this as much as Moominmidwinter and Finn Family Moomintroll. Overall disappointing.
Published on 10 Mar 2010 by Louise
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful Stories
Tove Jansson is a wonderful, humane, sympathetic, sensible, non-cloying, delightful writer. These stories are among my favourite pieces of literature. Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2009 by A Noyes
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