Moominsummer Madness

By Tove Jansson and Thomas Warburton

A huge wave has crashed through the valley, flooding the Moomins out of their home! With their usual resilience, the Moomins and their friends move into the first house that comes bobbing along. It's strange-looking, like a big cave with curtains hanging on either side. And when the house bumps into dry land and Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden decide to spend the night on shore--then the adventure really begins. Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden get lost, and Moominpappa decides to write a play which they will perform in the house, in the hope that Moomintroll will hear about it and find his way home.
"Moominsummer Madness," the fourth in Tove Jansson's classic series of books about Moominvalley, is enchanting and full of exciting adventures and surprises, some of them odd even by Moomin standards!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Sep 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781466871632

Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001) was born in Helsinki to artist parents. She was to become a celebrated artist, political cartoonist and author, but she is best known as the creator of the Moomins, one of the most successful and beloved children's book series ever written. Inspired by summers spent on the islands off Finland and Sweden, Tove created the unique world of Moominvalley and all its inhabitants. The Moomins and The Great Flood, her first book to feature the Moomins, published in 1945. Tove went on to publish twelve Moomin books between 1945 and 1977, which have sold in their millions and been translated into over forty languages. In the 1950's the Moomins became a successful cartoon strip, which was to feature in newspapers all over the world. As the Moomins' fame grew, they began to appear in television series, plays, films and a varied merchandise program soon followed. Tove also painted throughout her life and wrote novels and short stories, including the acclaimed Summer Book. But the Moomin world was never far away. As Tove said, "You feel a cold wind on your legs when you step outside Moomin Valley," In 1966, Tove received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for her lasting contribution to children's literature.

Book preview

Chapter 1

About a bark boat and a volcano

Moominmamma was sitting on the front steps in the sun, rigging a model bark schooner.

One big sail on the mainmast, and one on the foremast, and several small three-cornered ones to the bowsprit, if I remember rightly, she thought.

The rudder was a ticklish job, and the hold an odder one. Moominmamma had cut a tiny bark hatch, and when she laid it on, it fitted snugly and neatly over the hold.

Just in case of a hurricane, she said to herself with a happy sigh.

By her side on the steps, knees under chin, sat the Mymble’s daughter, looking on. She saw Moominmamma next tack the stays with small glass-headed pins, each of a different color. The mastheads were already flying bright red pennants.

For whom is it? asked the Mymble’s daughter respectfully.

For Moomintroll, replied his mamma, and searched her workbasket for something for an anchor cable.

Don’t push me about! cried a small voice from the basket.

Dear me, said Moominmamma, here’s your little sister in my workbasket again! She’s going to hurt herself on the pins and needles one day.

My! said the Mymble’s daughter menacingly and tried to pull her sister out of a skein of wool. Come out at once!

But Little My managed to crawl deeper into the wool, where she disappeared completely.

Such a nuisance she turned out so very small, complained the Mymble’s daughter. I never know where to look for her. Couldn’t you make a bark boat for her, too? She could sail in the water barrel, and I’d always know where she is.

Moominmamma laughed and looked in her handbag for another piece of bark.

Do you think this would hold Little My? she asked.

Certainly, said the Mymble’s daughter. But you’ll have to make a small life belt as well.

May I cut up your knitting ball? shouted Little My from the sewing-basket.

By all means, replied Moominmamma. She was admiring her schooner and wondered if she had forgotten anything. As she sat holding it in her paw a big black flake of soot came floating down and landed amidships on the deck.

Ugh, said Moominmamma and blew it away. Immediately another flake landed on her nose. Suddenly the air was full of soot.

Moominmamma rose with a sigh.

So very annoying, this volcano, she remarked.

Volcano? asked Little My, and thrust an interested head out of the wool.

Yes, it’s a mountain not so very far from here, and all of a sudden it’s begun spitting fire and smoke over the whole valley, explained Moominmamma. And soot. It’s always kept quiet and good ever since I married. And now, after all these years, exactly when I’ve finished my washing, it has to sneeze once again and blacken all the things I hung out.

Everybody’s burning up! shouted Little My happily. And everybody’s houses and gardens and playthings and little sisters and their playthings!

Fiddlesticks, said Moominmamma genially and whisked away another speck of soot from her nose.

Then she went off to look for Moomintroll.

Under the slope, a little to the right of Moominpappa’s hammock tree, was a large pond of clear, brown water. The Mymble’s daughter always insisted that it had no bottom in the middle. Perhaps she was right. Around the edges, broad and shining leaves grew for dragonflies and skimming-beetles to rest on, and below the surface spidery creatures used to row wrigglingly along, trying to look important. Further down, the pond-frog’s eyes glinted like gold, and sometimes you could catch a quick glimpse of her mysterious relatives that lived deep down in the mud.

Moomintroll was lying in his customary place (or one of his places), curled up on the green-and-yellow moss with his tail carefully tucked in under him.

He looked gravely and contentedly down into the water while he listened to the rustle of wings and the drowsy buzz of bees around him.

It’s for me, he thought. "I’m sure it’s for me. She always makes the first bark boat of the summer for the one she likes most. Then she muddles it all away a little, because she doesn’t want anybody to feel hurt. If that water-spider goes crawling eastwards, there’ll be no dinghy. If it goes westwards, she’s made a dinghy so small that you hardly dare take it in your

Reviews for Moominsummer Madness

[crown8of8daisies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful in every sense of the word.Such a charm this book has that cannot be explained.In its simplicity and philosophical tone, the book tells a wonderful story.A pure,original work of art.It is one of those books which lead you to believe anything they might contain, however different. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Moomins came out of the pages, so much like quirky real-life neighbors they are.It was a truly enjoyable read with a sweet and fun story. And the best part- age is no barrier for this book ! It can entice anyone !

[AlejandraSaavedraHorita · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful sense of adventure and calm. Though a children’s book, the Moomin is one of the most appealing stories I’ve ever come across.

[rosielee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Watched a recent BBC documentary on Tove Jansson and dug out the much-loved Moomins. The reissue of the first book, created in the aftermath of the war, was a timely reminder of how talented an artist Jansson was - I was very struck by the resemblance to the work of Remedios Varo - and how deeply layered the Moomins' charcaters and world were. In this one, the ever-resourceful Moomins have to adapt to new surroundings - there are life lessons throughout the Moomins' sagas, and no one is too old to benefit! I seem to recall learning from the tv programme that Jansson = Little My, as it were - the outlet for all the frustrated bad behaviour you bottle up! we should all have a Little My...

[isabelx_21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Moominmamma nodded. She was dipping her snout in the water and looking at the bottom.There’s a nice gleam down there,' she said.'It’s your golden bracelet,' said Moomintroll. 'And the Snork Maiden’s necklace. Good idea, isn’t it?''Splendid,' said his mother. 'We’ll always keep our bangles in brown pond water in the future. They’re so much more beautiful that way.'Another Moomin book, another natural disaster. This time a volcanic eruption causes a flood and the family has to take shelter in a floating theatre. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others in the series that I have read recently, as the supporting characters weren't as interesting.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply delightful. I am a longtime fan of the Moomins, a collection of unusual-looking critters whose calm and pleasing outlook on life is a pure joy to read. This time around, a flood washes through Moominvalley, forcing the Moomins to find a new home in a floating theater (though they don't know what a theater is). The humor is gentle but fun. I can't wait to read more of Jansson's books, including the comic strip collections.

[jmattas_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A more dramatic, diverse adventure in Moominwalley with multiple storylines and a host of delightfully funny new characters. The beginning is not as catchy as in some other Moomin books, but once they get to exploring the theatre the usual wackyness appears and it's once again a pleasure to read.I especially liked the characters Whomper (Homssu) and Emma, who gave some "outsider" observations on the Moomin family (let's face it, they are a bit strange). The theatre performance is also hilarious, and all over-enthusiastic lines spoken by little My.

[sirfurboy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A book that evokes images of long summer evenings, where all is well with the world. A perfect book for children. I loved this one and read it three or four times as I grew up.

[japag_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is another lovely romp in the Moominworld. This time they are forced to leave Moominvalley, because a giant wave has flooded it. They find an empty, floating theater, and much nice things and hilarity ensues.I just love the Moomin books. They are easy to read in one night, and always put you in a good mood. You just have to love all the characters, even the "bad" ones. :)Moominsummer madness may not be the best place to start with Moomins, though. The book sets out right in action, so you kinda have to know something about the characters already.

[tripleblessings_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The 4th book in the fantasy series of Moomin family adventures, written and illustrated by Tove Jansson. Strange fantasy creatures, funny adventures, endearing cartoon drawings. A bit hard to understand if you don't know the characters from previous books. (The first book is called Finn Family Moomintroll, in which a family of fantasy creatures discover a magical hat.)