The fretful Fillyjonk seems familiar, too, because she is that overly anxious relative who lives alone. The Whomper is either themselves or other children they know as they negotiate the world or reality and fantasy. New characters like the Whomper are immediately recognisable to children.

The Moomin family are central to most of the books in the series, but in this book Jansson introduces some new and interesting characters independent of the Moomin family, as well as returning to us favourite characters like the reclusive Snufkin and the irascible Little My. Moomins are small creatures – their size seems a little inconsistent across some of the books – who look something like upright and kindly hippopotamuses. If you have stumbled upon this review and you are wondering what a Moomin is or what these books are about, all you have to know is that Tove Jansson was a Finnish writer who created her world as a place of mystery, of danger and wonder, as well as a place where the small dramas of childhood and family could exist within a mythic and magical setting. But it would seem entirely possible that this book would be one of the most popular for many children, given the shorter form of the stories, which are varied in character and subject matter. The Sort of Books edition I own has an outline of the series at the back, and about this one it says, “Many Moomin fans love this book most of all.” I’ve read seven of the eight books from the series now, but it is not my favourite.

Unlike the previous books, this is a collection of nine short stories. Tales from Moominvalley is the sixth book in the Moomin Series.

Category: Children's Fiction Short Stories

Tove jansson tales from moominvalley