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Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson — book cover

Comet in Moominland

by Tove Jansson
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Overview

When Moomintroll learns that a comet will be passing by, he and his friend Sniff travel to the Observatory on the Lonely Mountains to consult the Professors. Along the way, they have many adventures, but the greatest adventure of all awaits them when they learn that the comet is headed straight for their beloved Moominvalley.

Second in the classic Moomintroll series. When a comet heads toward Moominvalley, Moomintroll and his friends begin one of their greatest adventures ever. "How human, how funny and endearing these mythical little Scandinavian beasties are."--The Washington Post. Illustrated.

Synopsis

If you haven’t met a Moomin yet, you’re missing the most magical fun!

Perfect for readers of all ages, join the beloved, world-famous characters of Moominvalley on an unforgettable adventure in Comet in Moominland—includes black-and-white illustrations throughout.


“Genius.” —Philip Pullman

“Clever, gentle, witty, and completely engrossing.” —Jeff Smith, author of Bone

When Moomintroll learns that a comet will be passing by, he and his friend Sniff travel to a mountain observatory to consult the Professors. Along the way, they have many adventures, but the greatest adventure of all awaits them when they learn that the comet is headed straight for their home in Moominvalley.

In the 80 years since the first Moomin novel appeared, Tove Jansson’s timeless stories have continued to captivate audiences across the globe with their adventure, humor, and endless wisdom. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a first-time visitor to Moominvalley, these classic books are a must-have for anyone who wishes the world was a bit more magical.

The original Moomin novels by Tove Jansson:
● Comet in Moominland
● Finn Family Moomintroll
● Moominpappa’s Memoirs
● Moominsummer Madness
● Moominland Midwinter
● Tales from Moominvalley
● Moominpappa at Sea
● Moominvalley in November


Books for the littlest Moomin fans, up to 3 years old:
● Moomin’s Lift the Flap Hide and Seek: with Big Flaps for Little Hands
● Moomin’s Little Book of Numbers

● Moomin’s Little Book of Words

About the Author, Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson (1914–2001) was born in Helsinki and spent much of her life in Finland. She is the author of the Moomin books. Born into an artistic family—her father was a sculptor and her mother was a graphic designer and illustrator—Jansson studied at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, and L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In addition to her Moomin books, she also wrote several novels, drew comic strips and worked as a painter and illustrator. In 1966, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her body of work. Jansson had a studio in Helsinki but spent most of her time at her home on a small island called Klovharu.

Reviews

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Editorials

From the Publisher

“There is, in short, everything in the Moon books: giant comets and secret caves and tree houses and stilts and magic-carpet clouds and amusement parks run by despotic practical-joking kings and time machines and ski instructors.” –Harper’s

“We need Moominland for its gentle pace, its sense of beauty and awe, and its spirit of friendliness and empathy—now more than ever.” –The Horn Book

“These charming fantasies are propelled by a childlike curiosity and filled with quiet wisdom, appealing geniality, and a satisfying sense of self-discovery.” –School Library Journal.com

“If you had no shame reading Harry Potter on the subway, there’s no need to hide Tove Jansson’s witty, whimsically illustrated Finnish series.” –Daily Candy

“The Moomin books make for both splendid bedtime read-alouds and solitary savoring.” Wall Street Journal

  “It’s more than forty years since Jansson’s Moomintrolls first appeared. I found the writing and invention as appealing as ever. She has a thistledown touch.”—The Washington Post Book World

“The adventures of the easygoing Moomintrolls have all the crispness and tart surprise of a lingonberry, thanks to Jansson’s ineffably light touch, her uncanny sensitivity to universal childhood emotions, and her gift for terse, naturalistic dialogue.”—Entertainment Weekly

“A gentle, offbeat fantasy.”—The Horn Book

“A lost treasure now rediscovered . . . A surrealist masterpiece.”—Neil Gaiman

“Jansson was a genius of a very subtle kind. These simple stories resonate with profound and complex emotions that are like nothing else in literature for children or adults: intensely Nordic, and completely universal.”—Philip Pullman

“Tove Jansson is undoubtedly one of the greatest children’s writers there has ever been. She has the extraordinary gift of writing books that are very clearly for children, but can also be enjoyed when the child, like me, is over sixty and can still find new pleasures with the insights that come from adulthood.”—Sir Terry Pratchett

“Clever, gentle, witty, and completely engrossing.”—Jeff Smith, author of Bone

“It’s not just Tove Jansson’s wonderfully strange fairytale world that so appeals but also her beautiful line work and exquisite sense of design.”—Lauren Child

“[Tove Jansson] is a master.”—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

“The most original works for children to be published since the Pooh books, and possibly, since Alice.”—Saturday Review

“You will declare yourself a citizen of Moominvalley and call the stories your own—the Moomin world is that compelling.”—Riverbank Review

Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft

Tove Jansson (1914—2001) is a legend in Finland. This Moomin book was first published in English in 1951; the Moomin series went on to become a cult in many languages, inspiring a comic strip, a play, a television puppet series, a Japanese animated series, and a theme park in Finland. Tove Jansson won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966. Since 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the Moomins' appearance, there is a new American edition with bright covers, the same translation, and all of Jansson's strikingly original pen-and-ink illustrations. Comet in Moominland has a strange, almost prophetic resonance: there have been warnings of a comet heading straight for Moomin Valley. As Moomintroll and his friends Sniff, Snufkin, and the Snork maiden—an illustrated cast list is provided—set out on a journey to find a faraway observatory, the flaming comet comes steadily closer. The friends encounter a desert, overgrown animals, shrinking seas, barren mountains, a poisonous bush, and a tornado. Their adventures are a child's dream of freedom and enabling parents, but, as a good adventure should, this one ends with the adventurers safely home just in the nick of time. About the comet, Jansson tells us that "if it had come a tiny bit nearer to the earth I am quite sure that none of us would be here now. But it just gave a whisk of its tail and swept off to another solar system far away." Though some critics find the Moomins a trifle whimsical—they do evoke the ambience of Winnie the Pooh and Wind in the Willows—there are sure to be readers and listeners who will adore their magical, amusing, very Nordic world. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft

Children's Literature

Tove Jansson (1914—2001) is a legend in Finland. This Moomin book was first published in English in 1951; the Moomin series went on to become a cult in many languages, inspiring a comic strip, a play, a television puppet series, a Japanese animated series, and a theme park in Finland. Tove Jansson won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966. Since 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the Moomins' appearance, there is a new American edition with bright covers, the same translation, and all of Jansson's strikingly original pen-and-ink illustrations. Comet in Moominland has a strange, almost prophetic resonance: there have been warnings of a comet heading straight for Moomin Valley. As Moomintroll and his friends Sniff, Snufkin, and the Snork maiden—an illustrated cast list is provided—set out on a journey to find a faraway observatory, the flaming comet comes steadily closer. The friends encounter a desert, overgrown animals, shrinking seas, barren mountains, a poisonous bush, and a tornado. Their adventures are a child's dream of freedom and enabling parents, but, as a good adventure should, this one ends with the adventurers safely home just in the nick of time. About the comet, Jansson tells us that "if it had come a tiny bit nearer to the earth I am quite sure that none of us would be here now. But it just gave a whisk of its tail and swept off to another solar system far away." Though some critics find the Moomins a trifle whimsical—they do evoke the ambience of Winnie the Pooh and Wind in the Willows—there are sure to be readers and listeners who will adore their magical, amusing, very Nordic world. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft

Book Details

Published
April 27, 2010
Publisher
Square Fish
Pages
192
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780312608880

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