mini book club: 002

Tove Jansson

If you know me well, you know I love the Moomins.

I think it started around 3rd or 4th grade when my mom read one of the books to me in Japanese. (Moomins are SUPER SUPER popular in Japan.) We read a couple more together, and then the rest in English by myself. When I had an assignment for school where we had to make a diorama from a recent book we read, I chose my favourite of the novels: Moominsummer Madness. Obviously none of my classmates knew the Moomins, and I’m pretty sure my teacher was confused too. But I didn’t care because I was already enamored with the world Tove Jansson had created!

This is my favorite of the novels

The art is so charming too. And the interior b&w illustrations are just as amazing. It was fate that I was able to buy a limited edition book full of Tove’s Moomin illustrations last year during a trip to NYC.

beautiful covers!

I really need to reread the Moomin books but did you know they were also a newspaper comic strip? When Tove became busy with the increasingly popular Moomins, her brother took over for the last decade. If you’re interested to learn more about the author, there’s an autobiography and a book of her letters too!

Look at the clever use of the cords to divide the panels

Drawn and Quarterly reprinted the strips into a series of 7 books

But before the Moomins were cute round trolls, they were a little bit thinner. It’s always fascinating to see the origins of beloved characters and how they develop. It reminds me that artists are always evolving and maybe I shouldn’t be so embarrassed of my past work.

Anyways, all of the characters in Moominvalley are so original & unique, but charming and relatable too. One of my biggest book goals is to do something similar. Maybe an early reader graphic novel series or short story collection picture book set in a small quiet world with lovable creatures going on mundane adventures. (One day, I will get there!)

I want to be like Little My, but apparently I’m like Snufkin. Both are my favorite characters, so I can’t complain! Take the test too