Finn Family Moomintroll

By Tove Jansson

It is spring in the valley and the Moomins are ready for adventure! Moomintroll and his friends Snufkin and Sniff find the Hobgoblin's top hat, all shiny and new and just waiting to be taken home. They soon realize that his is no ordinary hat; it can turn anything—or anyone—into something else!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Sep 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781466871588

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

In which Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff find the Hob­goblin’s Hat; how five small clouds unexpectedly appear, and how the Hemulen finds himself a new hobby.

One spring morning at four ­o’clock the first cuckoo arrived in the Valley of the Moomins. He perched on the blue roof of Moomin­house and cuckooed eight times—­rather hoarsely to be sure, for it was still a bit early in the spring.

Then he flew away to the east.

Moomintroll woke up and lay a long time looking at the ceiling before he realized where he was. He had slept a hundred nights and a hundred days, and his dreams still thronged about his head trying to coax him back to sleep.

But as he was wriggling around trying to find a cozy new spot to sleep he caught sight of something that made him quite wide awake—­Snufkin’s bed was empty!

Moomintroll sat up. Yes, Snufkin’s hat had gone, too. Goodness gracious me! he said, tiptoeing to the open window. Ah-­ha, Snufkin had been using the rope­ ladder. Moomintroll scrambled over the window-­sill and climbed cautiously down on his short legs. He could see Snufkin’s footprints plainly in the wet earth, wandering ­here and there and rather difficult to follow, until suddenly they did a long jump and crossed over themselves. He must have been very happy, decided Moomintroll. He did a somersault ­here—­that’s clear enough.

Suddenly Moomintroll lifted his nose and listened. Far away Snufkin was playing his gayest song, All small beasts should have bows in their tails. And Moomintroll began to run toward the music.

Down by the river he came upon Snufkin who was sitting on the bridge with his legs dangling over the water, his old hat pulled down over his ears.

Hello, said Moomintroll sitting down beside him.

Hello to you, said Snufkin, and went on playing.

The sun was up now and shone straight into their eyes, making them blink. They sat swinging their legs over the running water feeling happy and carefree.

They had had many strange adventures on this river and had brought home many new friends. Moomintroll’s mother and father always welcomed all their friends in the same quiet way, just adding another bed and putting another leaf in the dining-­room table. And so Moomin­house was rather full—­a place where everyone did what they liked and seldom worried about to­morrow. Very often unexpected and disturbing things used to happen, but nobody ever had time to be bored, and that is always a good

Reviews for Finn Family Moomintroll

[electrascaife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's difficult (for me, at least) to describe the Moomin books except to say that they're delightfully nonsensical. This one holds true to that classification. Goofy and fun.

[bkohl_6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Moomin extended family have spring and summer adventures with a Hobgoblin hat, a sailing trip to Hattifatteners' Island, a court case (Thingumy and Bob v. Groke), and a celebration honoring the return of Moominmamma's handbag.I think Tove Jansson is like Lewis Carroll — you need to be exposed to them when you're young. Finn Family Moomintroll has fun characters, but they didn't resonate with me.

[AlejandraSaavedraHorita · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Creates the soft, warm and welcoming atmosphere I’d needed in my life.

[et.carole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This childhood favorite was well worth the reread: if not for the tender and empathetic way that Jansson treats all her characters, then surely for the whimsical beauty of illustration and the raw imagination of plot. Also, this translation is full of quotes brilliant in their simplicity:
"It was a good day to start a journey; the crest of the hill beckoned to him in the sunshine, with the road winding up and disappearing on the other side to find a new valley, and then a new hill...." 142
"Oh, what wonderful feeling when you have eaten up everything, drunk everything, talked of everything and danced your feet off, to go home in the quiet hour before the dawn to sleep!" 169
I remember being terrified by these stories when I was younger, and now that I read them with a whole host of literary ideas bouncing around in my head, I have an idea for why they did so: they didn't follow Roald Dahl's ideas about children's literature being divided into a binary of absolute good and complete evil. Each monster that Jansson presents has an understandable motivation, and all are capable of reasoning and resolution. Her presentation of nature is full of danger and beauty but ultimately impartial to its occupants. Her choice of scale for the moomins is also important, I think; there is a peculiar danger when characters are less than a foot tall and at the mercy of their environment.
Yet for all these, and her tendency towards happy endings, Jansson does not shy away from issues that come up in childhood and never truly leave: jealousy, the complication of who should possess things, and the trouble of finding something to do with your days. I believe I will reread all the Moomin books.

[leslie398 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have loved this book since I was about 7 years old, and it is still fun to read now as an adult.

[isabelx_21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

They had had many strange adventures on this river and had brought home many new friends. Moomintroll's mother and father always welcomed all their friends in the same quiet way, just adding another bed and putting another leaf in the dining-room table. And so Moominhouse was rather full - a place where everyone did what they liked and seldom worried about tomorrow. Very often unexpected and disturbing things used to happen, but nobody ever had time to be bored, and that is always a good thing.The story begins with the inhabitants of Moomin Valley getting ready to hibernate and continues with their adventures during the spring and summer of the following year, which are triggered by the discovery of a magical hat on top of a mountain and a sailing-boat washed up on the shore.It is a story full of small joys and I really enjoyed scenes such as Sniff ad Moomintroll agreeing a swap of the treasures they had found while beach-combing, Moominmamma casually putting down her axe after the family confronted the Groke, the Snork Maiden's jealousy over a beautiful ship's figurehead and Thingummy and Bob's kind-hearted wish at the end of the book.

[lisapeet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little more melancholy, a little less plot-driven than Comet in Moominland. Lovely all the same.

[ben_a_11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing how memories persist. I had strong recollections of some of the scenes of "Comet in Moominland," but more or less had drawn a blank on this one -- but then certain memories started to return: the barometer reading zero, christening the boat, the found figurehead, the ruby, and Sniff's magnificent wish. What a lovely book. Jacob adored it.

[lquilter_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My daughter loved this so much that she picked it out to give to friends for their kids' birthdays. Gender: The gender roles are somewhat dated, unfortunately. But with a little discussion, that can be handled, I think, and the imaginativeness and fun of this series can't be beaten.

[xuebi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A delightful and fun story by Jansson - one of the most accessible of her Moomintroll stories to start with in English.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightfully idiosyncratic, wholly original, and immensely engaging, this charming fantasy from Finnish author Tove Jansson is a classic of world children's literature, and it is not difficult to see why. The tale of an eclectic family of beings who live together in Moominvalley - distracted Moominpappa, always writing his memoirs; kind but fair-minded Moominmamma, with her all-essential handbag; sweet Moomintroll himself, so anxious for everyone to get along; the somewhat aloof Snufkin, a musician with wanderlust, if ever there was one - it somehow manages to be both unhurried and exciting, involving the reader in its characters' adventures - finding the Hobgoblin's hat, and discovering its unusual qualities, sailing to the Lonely Island, and encountering the Hattifatteners - as well as their inner emotional lives.I loved so many things about Finn Family Moomintroll, from Jansson's hilarious little footnotes, to her adorable illustrations, that it's difficult to single out what it is that makes the story so appealing. In the end, after much discussion over in the children's books group to which I belong - where this was our June selection, for The International Book Club - I have settled on three essential qualities to Jansson's creation, that make it truly outstanding. To wit: the respect that the Moomins show to one another, and through them, that Jansson shows for her readers; the sly humor to be found in both text and image; and the tolerance - the celebration, even - of diversity and difference.These are highly individual characters all, with distinct interests and personalities, but there is always the sense that they are welcome. I was particularly struck by the way in which the Moomintroll household seems to continually be expanding to include newcomers. Bob and Thingummy, for instance, arrive toward the end of the book, and Moominmamma's first thought, when she discovers that their language is difficult to understand - that they are, in a sense, "foreigners" - is not, "what are they doing here?" but "how will I know what to make them for their special birthday feast, if we can't communicate?" Although the incorporation of these two is the only family expansion that occurs within the book's narrative, the text hints that other members were likewise adopted, in the past.This generosity of spirit is reflected, not only in the welcoming of new (and highly unusual) family members, but in the way that the established Moomins interact with each other. Every one has their flaws, but Jansson invites us to accept and forgive them, recognizing that, despite these failings, they are each an important part of the whole. The Hemulen, for instance, may be a bit of an obsessive-compulsive collector, more interested in the process of amassing objects than in really studying them, but that in no way means he isn't a feeling creature - someone to be treated with consideration. This is made clear in the scene, early on, when Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden discover him in the forest, deeply upset. Concerned, but also respectful, they avoid pressing him for details, but make it clear that they are there to listen.Of course, all this analysis might lead one to suppose that Finn Family Moomintroll was a very serious book, but nothing could be further from the truth! Jansson has a subtle but very appealing sense of humor, that emerges in sly little asides - as when she writes of the Hemulen: "(he) continued to look worried because he thought he oughtn't to look happy after such a big sorrow" - and humorous incidents, like the one in which the Muskrat barrels past the beach-bound Moomins. The adventures themselves - whether it be Moomintroll and friends riding on the little egg-shell clouds, or the Moomin family each discovering something washed up on the shore of the Hattifatteners' island, after the big storm - are absolutely magical, and young readers wills wish that similar things might happen to them.In short: this is that rarest of books which manages to succeed, both as entertainment and art, and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I have read bits and pieces of Tove Jansson's work, over the years - enough to know I liked it - but this is my first experience sitting down and reading one of her books straight through. All I can say is: where's the next?

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the Moomins so much as a kid. I don't remember reading them, actually -- surprisingly, no sense of location or of my fingers on the pages comes back to me, though usually I'll remember where I read books and whether my edition was new or old, and the smell of the pages... In any case, I do remember that I loved the Moomins, and it was lovely to curl up and reread now I'm older, and wiser, and really not feeling well.

I do love the range of characters, all with different customs and such, that just happily get along. And I love everyone's consideration of everyone else's different needs. It's... accepting, and hopefully inspiring, without being the slightest bit preachy.

[melissarogerson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved Moomin novels when I was a child, but never managed to get my elder daughter enthused. Finally, after two years of nothing but Rainbow Magic, my seven-year-old has branched out and now demands "Moomintroll" at night - even reading to ME after I claim that mummy's voice is tired and besides, it's past your bedtime. Looking forward to making our way through the series. Can't believe these were written in the 1940s - they haven't dated much at all. Kudos to the translation.

[jojosimco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've cherished this book since I first read it aged eight. Both my kids love it too and get the genius of the woman. So far and away more original and imaginative than most of the books for this age-group. The arrival of the hobgoblin in the last chapter still thrills me every time I get to it.

[bexaplex · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Moomin extended family have spring and summer adventures with a Hobgoblin hat, a sailing trip to Hattifatteners' Island, a court case (Thingumy and Bob v. Groke), and a celebration honoring the return of Moominmamma's handbag.I think Tove Jansson is like Lewis Carroll — you need to be exposed to them when you're young. Finn Family Moomintroll has fun characters, but they didn't resonate with me.

[evet_24 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this. Perhaps not as much as Pooh, which it reminded me of. But after reading so much about the series, I was not disappointed.

[saroz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've only read one other Moomin book - "Moominland Midwinter" - and that, while delightful, was far more introspective and prosaic. This one is a more traditional collection of little linked adventures, well worth a smile but firmly in the realm of very small children's stories. Still, Jansson's imagination is delightful; I especially enjoyed the "trial" toward the end of the book.

[jmattas_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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".

[marensr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[sirfurboy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!)

[susan594 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[ishtahar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read for one of my 101 in 1001 tasks. I don't know why, I just remember adoring the Moomins as a child and everyone telling me how scary they were but I don't remember them being any scarier than any other kids' story. A bit dark and weird yes, but who doesn't love dark and weird. Besides they are so cute with their little round tummies like babies. To be scared of a Moomin is to be scared of a baby!Anyway it's as brilliant as I remember, can be read on a completly different level as an adult and really should be on primary national curriculum ;)

[master_gopher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book made me so happy throughout my childhood and now into adulthood. It perfectly combines whimsey and poignancy. Sometimes it makes me terribly sad, but it is always absolutely delightful and has convinced me that the perfect family would be something like the Moomintrolls' - serious but fun-loving Moominpappa, Moominmamma who likes to snooze while rain falls on the roof, and the adventurous, gently squabbling children.

[jennyo_587543 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book out loud to my kids. They loved it. Moomintroll and his family are such sweet, gentle creatures, and their adventures are so pleasant that it's the perfect bedtime book. We're starting another one tomorrow night.I love Thingumy and Bob who have their own language which my kids got a kick out of "translating" for me. And Moominmamma who makes wonderful pancakes.Wish I'd known about these books as a kid. At least I have an excuse to read them now.