There’s only two types of people in the world. Those who couldn’t imagine growing up without being aware of Tove Jansson’s Moomin series, among the very best of children’s literature, and those who have no idea who Tove Jansson even is.
Describing Jansson’s universe to someone who’s never read anything from the renowned Finnish author and artist feels like a difficult task. It’s poetry, it’s melancholy, it’s queerness, sometimes it’s darkness and fear — but it’s also unaltered joy, an unbreakable bond with nature, the celebration of one’s self in its entirety, honouring the small things of life. It’s wind howling in the trees, hearing a harmonica in the distance, summer on a small island of the Gulf of Finland, rolling down a snowy mountain without fearing the consequences – but never ignoring the consequences. Jansson’s work — both her children’s literature and adult novels — is a must-read that I will never stop recommending to people.
It’s also difficult to explain how much of a cultural phenomenon the Moomin series is to people who are unaware of it. Nine books (translated in 44 languages and having sold over 15 million copies as of 2014, according to the BBC), several picture books, over 20 TV adaptations across Europe and Asia, a theme park in Finland, and more.
