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Children's reading lists

17 of the best LGBTQIA+ books for kids

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Features

The best literary quotes about summer

An image of eight books from the Moomin series on a light purple background

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11 life lessons from the Moomins

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Reading lists

Books for kids who are obsessed with Disney’s Frozen

A silhouette of a moomin in a red heart, surrounded by a rainbow border, against a backdrop of floating hearts.

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The unlikely queer family at the heart of the Moomins

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The Moomins have never been more popular; 75 years later, their origins reveal why

Moominvalley in November

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched in a stunning new package. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominvalley in November complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
'They can't have moved away without saying a word!' Winter is coming, and the Fillyjonk, the Hemulen, Toft, and Mymble, are all waiting in Moominvalley to see the Moomins return home. Winter doesn't seem right without them . . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Beautiful words. Anarchic illustrations. Tove Jansson is a genius.

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.

Tove Jansson was born in Finland in 1914. She began her career as a cartoonist and went on to write and illustrate many books for adults and children. She drew her first Moomin in the 1930s, just for fun, and in 1945 he became a character in a children's story. Tove became world-famous for her Moomin books, which began with The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945, closely followed by Comet in Moominland in 1946, Finn Family Moomintroll in 1948 and six more Moomin adventures. During the winter months Tove lived and worked in Helsinki, but in the summertime she stayed on a beautiful remote island in the Gulf of Finland with her long-term partner, the artist Tuulikki Pietilä. Tove Jansson received many prestigious awards during her lifetime, including the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal. She died in 2001, aged eighty-seven.

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominvalley in November complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
'They can't have moved away without saying a word!' Winter is coming, and the Fillyjonk, the Hemulen, Toft, and Mymble, are all waiting in Moominvalley to see the Moomins return home. Winter doesn't seem right without them . . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Comet in Moominland

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched with a charming new cover design. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Comet in Moominland complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
A comet is speeding towards Earth - will it destroy everything and everyone? Moomintroll decides to investigate. So, with Sniff, he sets off on an expedition to ask the Professor about the comet. On their way they meet Snufkin and the Hemulen who rescues them from a secret underground tunnel - but can they escape the dangerous crocodiles that lurk. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

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

Tove Jansson was born in Finland in 1914. She began her career as a cartoonist and went on to write and illustrate many books for adults and children. She drew her first Moomin in the 1930s, just for fun, and in 1945 he became a character in a children's story. Tove became world-famous for her Moomin books, which began with The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945, closely followed by Comet in Moominland in 1946, Finn Family Moomintroll in 1948 and six more Moomin adventures. During the winter months Tove lived and worked in Helsinki, but in the summertime she stayed on a beautiful remote island in the Gulf of Finland with her long-term partner, the artist Tuulikki Pietilä. Tove Jansson received many prestigious awards during her lifetime, including the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal. She died in 2001, aged eighty-six.

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Comet in Moominland complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
A comet is speeding towards Earth - will it destroy everything and everyone? Moomintroll decides to investigate. So, with Sniff, he sets off on an expedition to ask the Professor about the comet. On their way they meet Snufkin and the Hemulen who rescues them from a secret underground tunnel - but can they escape the dangerous crocodiles that lurk. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Moominpappa at Sea

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched with a charming new cover design. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominpappa at Sea complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Moominpappa is feeling at a loss. He has no idea what to do with himself - it seems everything has already been done! So he takes his family off to start a new life in a lighthouse on a tiny, rocky island far out to sea. It's rather lonely at first, but it isn't long before the Moomins discover some funny and surprising new things about themselves. 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominpappa at Sea complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Moominpappa is feeling at a loss. He has no idea what to do with himself - it seems everything has already been done! So he takes his family off to start a new life in a lighthouse on a tiny, rocky island far out to sea. It's rather lonely at first, but it isn't long before the Moomins discover some funny and surprising new things about themselves. 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Moominland Midwinter

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched in a stunning new package. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominland Midwinter complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Moomins always sleep through the winter - or they did until the year Moomintroll woke up and found he couldn't go back to sleep again. All the clocks had stopped, there was nothing to eat and no one to talk to at home, so he went out - into the unknown. The valley was white and silent and very scary. But then Moomintroll spied some tracks in the snow. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominland Midwinter complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Moomins always sleep through the winter - or they did until the year Moomintroll woke up and found he couldn't go back to sleep again. All the clocks had stopped, there was nothing to eat and no one to talk to at home, so he went out - into the unknown. The valley was white and silent and very scary. But then Moomintroll spied some tracks in the snow. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Tales from Moominvalley

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched in a stunning new package. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Tales from Moominvalley complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
If you found a tiny golden dragon would you know what to do with it? Moomintroll thinks he does, but when he takes his new-found pet home, things don't quite go to plan. And suppose Too-ticky brought you an invisible child, would you know how to make her visible again? Meet new and delightful characters and re-encounter old friends, such as Snufkin and Little My in this entertaining collection of stories about life in Moominvalley. There are some new characters to meet, such as the Fillyjonk and the Hattifatteners, as well as old friends, namely Snufkin and Little My - and not to mention dear Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll of course! 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Tales from Moominvalley complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
If you found a tiny golden dragon would you know what to do with it? Moomintroll thinks he does, but when he takes his new-found pet home, things don't quite go to plan. And suppose Too-ticky brought you an invisible child, would you know how to make her visible again? Meet new and delightful characters and re-encounter old friends, such as Snufkin and Little My in this entertaining collection of stories about life in Moominvalley. There are some new characters to meet, such as the Fillyjonk and the Hattifatteners, as well as old friends, namely Snufkin and Little My - and not to mention dear Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll of course! 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Finn Family Moomintroll

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched in a stunning new package. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published! 
 
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Finn Family Moomintroll complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Cheerful Moomintroll lives in the magical Moominvalley with his mother, Moominmamma, his father, Moominpappa and all of their friends. One spring he wakes up to find a big hat - a magical Hobgoblin hat, no less, that mysteriously transforms anyone or anything that falls into it. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Finn Family Moomintroll complete with a charming new cover design. 
 
Cheerful Moomintroll lives in the magical Moominvalley with his mother, Moominmamma, his father, Moominpappa and all of their friends. One spring he wakes up to find a big hat - a magical Hobgoblin hat, no less, that mysteriously transforms anyone or anything that falls into it. . . 
 
They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

Tove Jansson

Discover the magical world of Moomins in this chunky lift-the-flap book with a surprise pop-up ending! 
 
It's time for a very special picnic in Moominvalley. But where is Moomintroll? Join Little My, Moominmappa and more marvellous Moomin characters as they join in the hunt to find Moomin! 
 
Based on Tove Jansson's original characters and artwork, this interactive board book is perfect for little readers and the youngest Moomin fans! 
 
Discover more magical Moomin books: 
Moomin's First 100 Words 
Moomin: The Very BIG Moominhouse Lift-the-Flap Book 
Moomin's Peekaboo Night Night: A Lift-and-Find Book 
My First Moomin: Best Friends 
My First Moomin: Goodnight Moomin 
My First Moomin: Be Brave, Moomin 
Moomin's Pancake Picnic Peep-Inside

Tove Jansson

Books by Tove Jansson

Series by Tove Jansson

A Puffin Book117 Books

MOOMIN6 Books

Moomins Fiction10 Books

Articles featuring Tove Jansson

17 of the best LGBTQIA+ books for kids

The best literary quotes about summer

11 life lessons from the Moomins

Books for kids who are obsessed with Disney’s Frozen

The unlikely queer family at the heart of the Moomins

The Moomins have never been more popular; 75 years later, their origins reveal why

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