👜 Moominmamma and her only son Moomintroll are on a journey to find Moominpappa. He has been travelling with the Hattifatteners to look for a place to build a house. Hattifatteners are white tiny creatures who are always on the move and usually traveling through the sea in groups.
👜 The Moomins' journey is quite eventful, and they get to meet some new friends. "The Little Creature" is the one they first meet - a helpless, whinny creature who likes sparkling gems. Later on he will be named Sniff. Then they also meet Tulippa, a pretty young girl with shining blue hair who's been staying inside a tulip. She saves the Moomins and the little creature from a giant serpent while crossing a swamp. The four of them then continue their journey together.
👜 Later on they are joining a group of Hattifatteners who are crossing the sea by boat. But a storm strikes, and a sea troll helps them to navigate safely to an island, where they meet a boy who has seen Moominpappa. They are on the right track, then!
👜 A rainstorm seems to check their progress, but during the flood they find a message in the bottle floating their direction from Moominpappa, and by the help of a stork, they finally find him - safe and sound! Not only that, they later on find the house Moominpappa has built, which the flood has been floating intact to a valley, and where they finally decide to live.
👜 Considering this novella is the first of a series, it is quite an interesting introduction, although there isn't much 'substance' in the story if you read it as standalone. My favorite character is Moominmamma, she is just a typical wonder mom who always knows what her children need, and is always prepare for everything. I loved how, when Moomintroll's feet became wet from the swamp, she just takes a pair of dry socks out of her handbag for him. This handback is actually becomes a trademark for Moominmamma, as she always brings it everywhere she goes. To me it's also a symbol of a loving and caring mother (hence, the handbag emojis I use in this post ;)).
👜 The story is not overly fantastic, but it gets better on the next one (I have moved on to Comet in the Moominland, which I loved - review's following! 😉)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Read this book for:
That sounds very typical of the Moomin Family. Always off on adventures, taking along everyone they meet on the way, and never lacking anything as long as Moomin Mama is there with her (Bottomless) handbag. You really picked the right emoji! I've just read my first Moomin Book, too (though I'm very familiar with the comic strips). It's "Moomin Summer Madness". My review will be up shortly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed your introduction to the Moomins and especially Moominmamma. She does indeed have all the answers. Thank you for this review :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Fanda! This is one I haven't yet read but particularly after your comments here I'm very keen to seek it out. 🙂 An excellent start to Moomin Week!
ReplyDeleteGreat presentation.
ReplyDeleteI read it too. I think if you consider the historical background, when she wrote it, it has many more meanings.
https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/08/26/two-reviews-for-moominweek-2024/
Oh I forgot to say: I loved the handbag bullet points!
ReplyDeleteI love the handbag bullets, too! I have only read Finn Family Moomintroll so far but I have the feeling of a Project building. Moominmamma feels like my favourite character at the moment ...
ReplyDelete