THE MOOMINS AND THE GREAT FLOOD

Moominmamma and Moomin must find a home for the winter, a place bathed in sunlight and safe from the dangers of the unknown. But before they can settle down, they must cross a dark and sinister forest as well as a flood of epic proportions, all while hoping to find Moominpappa. Their journey promises to be daunting, but they press on; Moominmamma’s kindness and patience give Moomin the courage needed to face the strange and unexplored path opening up before them.

Written during the 1939–1940 Finno-Soviet conflict, the Winter War, this book uses the unique setting of a natural disaster as a backdrop for Tove Jansson's first children's book and the first appearance of her famous characters, the Moomins. The author conceived this tale to escape the horrors of war and its many consequences; however, far from avoiding the problems generated by the conflict, she transforms them into obstacles for her characters, whether it be family separation or forced displacement. Between beautiful black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout the text and prose that is as curious as it is playful, the reader grows fond of the Moomins and becomes enthralled by their quest: to find Moominpappa and build a new home.

Work in English