The Moomins: The World of Moominvalley - by Tove Jansson & Philip Ardagh (Hardcover)

About the Book

A special anniversary edition of the official guide to Tove Jansson's world of Moominvalley, packaged in stunning hardback and featuring original drawings for all Moomin fans to treasure.

Book Synopsis

Celebrate 80 years of the Moomins with this showstopping gift book! The World of Moominvalley is the ultimate guide for any Moomin fan, young and old. Now updated with special content to celebrate the anniversary! A luxury edition, with a gold foil cover, that you can cherish for years to come.

Step into the magical world of Moominvalley with this beautiful one-of-a-kind book filled with illustrated maps, fun facts and everything you'd love to know about the beloved characters from the original Moomin stories and the world in which they live. Find out all about Moomintroll's adventures, Moominmamma's handbag and Moominpappa's memoirs. Then discover all your favourite Moomin characters, including Snork Maiden, Snufkin, Sniff and Little My.

This special anniversary edition features a detailed history of the Moomin novels, picture books, and popular comic strips. Glimpse behind the studio door of the creator Tove Jansson and see original Moomin drawings - from first sketch to final novel. Embark on a global tour of the Moomins, exploring theme parks in Japan and museums in Finland, before enjoying gorgeous images of exclusive collectors' items.

Written by the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Philip Ardagh, with contributions from bestselling children's author and Moomin devotee, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Children's Laureate 2024-2026.

Review Quotes

"Bound in celestial blue and gold, featuring a foreword by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Tove Jansson's glorious illustrations throughout, Ardagh's weighty, witty, carefully curated guide to the Moomins, their friends, their philosophies and their habitats - as well as the life of their mysterious creator - offers hours of browsing to aficionados young and old." --The Best Children's Books 2017, Guardian

"A whopping, beautifully illustrated guide." --Spectator

About the Author

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 1950s 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.