Finn Family Moomintroll

by Tove Jansson

Genres: Children's, Fantasy
Pages: 176
Series: Moomintrolls #3
Rating:

Synopsis:

It is spring in the valley and the Moomins are ready for adventure! Moomintroll and his friends Snufkin and Sniff find the Hobgoblin's top hat, all shiny and new and just waiting to be taken home. They soon realize that his is no ordinary hat; it can turn anything—or anyone—into something else!

Ahh, I remembered Tove Jansson’s Finn Family Moomintroll perfectly: this is one I’m certain I’ve definitely read before, and not just the comic either. It looks kinda like I read the first part quite a few times, and rarely actually fully finished it, because I didn’t remember the chapters after Thingumy and Bob arrive into the story very well — but I very vividly remember the start of the book and all the adventures surrounding the Hobgoblin’s hat.

Once again, I love how matter-of-factly the story introduces new characters and ideas, though I did get a bit startled to remember that this is supposed to be a world in which humans live too with some detail or other, either in this or Comet in Moominland. And of course I love the way Moominmamma calmly handles each new visitor as if they are a valued, long-awaited guest. We should all aspire to be as loving as Moominmamma.

The Moomins are most definitely a lovely palate cleanser, and apparently something I needed to (re)read in this moment of my life.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)