Tove and the Island with No Address - by Lauren Soloy (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Tove and her family go to the island with no address every summer. After checking to make sure that everything in the cabin is exactly as it should be, young Tove sets off on an adventure. She finds some interesting salvage on the beach, she visits the grotto, and she offers to babysit her strange little friend's five wild daughters. But when the weather takes a turn, Tove finds this task is more than she bargained for"--

Book Synopsis

A gorgeous picture book homage to celebrated Moomin author Tove Jansson.

Tove and her family go to the island with no address every summer. After checking to make sure that everything in the cabin is exactly as it should be, young Tove sets off on an adventure. She finds some interesting salvage on the beach, she visits the grotto and she offers to babysit her strange little friend's five wild daughters.

But when the weather takes a turn, Tove finds this task is more than she bargained for . . .

Through Lauren Soloy's brilliant art and storytelling, this imagined day on the island with no address pays tribute to Tove Jansson's wild and beautiful imagination and explores both the exhilaration of adventure and the comfort of coming home.

Review Quotes

A 2024 Horn Book Fanfare Selection
Named one of Horn Book's CaldeNott Honour Books 2024
A School Library Journal Best Picture Books of 2024

"The adventure channels the darkly mischievous tone for which Jansson's works are beloved . . . and re-creates the strange, wild atmosphere of the island in this windblown tribute to the creator's artistry and sensibility." --STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

"Taking pieces of Jansson's wildly varied body of work, from the colors and moods to the wildness of the setting to the fantastical, unruly, and strangely shaped creatures, Soloy has skillfully distilled them into one story that at once feels both like Jansson's boldly colored abstract paintings and her sharply funny, delightfully irreverent cartoons." --STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

"This pairing of a strange escapade in the wild with a warm and a cozy welcome home epitomizes the appeal of Jansson's Moomin books; Moomin fans of all ages will especially enjoy this tale." --STARRED REVIEW, The Horn Book

"Moomin enthusiasts will be fond of Soloy's stunning tribute to beloved author Tove Jansson in this picture book biography. . . . Although the book highlights the dangers of nature along the way, young readers will be captivated by Tove's resilience as she follows the rays of light that lead her to her friends and ultimately back home to her family, where she finds comfort, love, and pancakes." --STARRED REVIEW, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"All readers will find the handsome illustrations a wonder, while Tove Jansson enthusiasts will adore the homage." --Kirkus Reviews

"This story has it all: a loving family, an unusual friend, an unexpected storm, adventure, and a happy ending." --School Library Journal

"Tove and the Island with No Address is a superb way to introduce young readers to the fanciful world of Tove Jansson and also to encourage children to imagine the childhood experiences that inspired some of their other favourite heroes." --CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Soloy's wild nature has the force of a painting by J.M.W. Turner." --Imaginary Elevators

"Soloy's books are always guaranteed day-brighteners and this one is no exception. The art is beautiful -- one spread features a sky straight out of Blake -- and the colour palette somehow allows you to feel the cold wind little Tove endures along with the reassuring warmth of the home fire she returns to. Love this book and would recommend to readers young or old." --Sara O'Leary, author of This is Sadie

About the Author

LAUREN SOLOY has lived on both coasts of Canada, always within reach of the sea. She currently lives in Nova Scotia, in a house that is exactly 100 years older than she is, with her librarian husband, two curious children, an ever-expanding collection of books, two hives of bees and one grumpy cat. She is the author and illustrator of When Emily Was Small, Etty Darwin and the Four Pebble Problem and The Hidden World of Gnomes, as well as the illustrator of I's the B'y: The Beloved Newfoundland Folk Song and A Tulip in Winter.