Bibliography

The Little Trolls and the Great Flood
- the original title: Smatrollen och den stora översvämningen Copyright by Tove Jansson 1945, 1991, Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Teresa Chlapowska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1995.
[No english translation]

The first short story originally published in 1945. In Poland it was not published until 1995. It seems a little different than the following Moominbooks, it's still a little immature. The characters are not as well-composed and described as in the subsequent works and the pictures seem a little "rough" but it's still a good beginning of a little "One way or the other it became mine" world of the little trolls. The author herself depicts it like this in the preface to the re-edition of her novel:

"It was the winter of 1939, time of the war. The work stood still - you had a feeling that any attempt to create a picture of reality is absolutely needless. So maybe it doesn't seem so strange that suddenly I became overcome with desire to write something starting with: "Once upon a time..." The rest had to be a fairy tale, it was inevitable, but I gave up princes, princesses and little children opting for a figure that I signed my satirical drawings with and which I had named Moomintroll instead. This short story, still half-finished, fell into oblivion. But in 1945 my friend had said to me that this could make a book, told me to finish it and complete it with illustrations and maybe they would accept it. I wanted the title to have something in common with the Moomintroll and the search for his papa (like the Captain Grant's quest) but the publisher opted for the:"Little Trolls" believing that the readers would understand it better. The story is strongly inspired by the books I used to read and love in my childhood: there's a little of Julius Verne, a little of Collodi ("A girl with blue hair") and of many more. And why not?

Comet in Moominland
- the original title: Kometen kommer. Copyright by Tove Jansson 1946, 1968 Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Teresa Chlapowska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1977.
[Eng. transl. by Elizabeth Portch]

The first "large" novel about the Moomins. It's a story about Moomintroll and his friends' expedition to the Observatory in the Misty Mountains and about the arrival of the great comet that intrudes the Little Trolls' peaceful life.

(...)"Moomintroll woke up not fully realizing where he was. The cave was filled with dim light and there was a smell of the lamp-oil. Then suddenly he remembered everything and got up. The rest was still asleep. Moomintroll toddled towards the way-out, carefully lifted the blanket and looked outside. The red light was gone, the sky didn't seem to be any color at all and undisturbed silence reigned. Moomintroll went outside and sat down on a rock. Close at hand on the ground lied a meteor cast down by the comet; he lifted it and took a look. Thre meteor was black, rough and extremely heavy. Moomintroll gazed at the beach stretching until far away and at the empty bottom of the sea. Everything seemed just as quiet and colourful as before. He had expected to see terrible holes in the ground or some other dramatic changes. He had no idea what to think about it and he even got a little scared.
- Hi - Snufkin greeted him as he came out of the cave too and sat by his side lighting his pipe.
- Hi - answered Moomintroll - Is this how it's supposed to look after the destruction of the Earth? Nothing but desolation everywhere?
- There wasn't any destruction - said Snufkin - I believe that the comet just brushed against us with its tail and then flew further into space.
- You think that everything is still here? - asked Moomintroll dubiously. Snufkin pointed at the hirizon with his pipe.
- Look - he said - the sea is as far as there. It cleared up a little and at the very edge of the horizon a movement could be seen, a movement of something living. - See? The sea is beginning to return - said Snufkin. They sat silently and waited while the sky got brighter and brighter. And then suddenly the sun rose, the same one as usual. The sea returned too, rushing towards the familiar shore and the higher the sun rose, the more azur blue it was. The waves poured into the empty deeps and turned green while laying carefully at their bottom. All the returning crawling and wriggling creatures that managed to survive in the mud swarmed joyfully in the pellucid water. The sea grass and seaweeds drew themselves up and taunted their stalks towards the sun. All of a sudden from the seaside came a sea swallow announcing the new day with a loud call.
- The sea is coming back! - cried Moominpappa.
Everybody had already got up and came out very curious. Only the Hemulen showed no surprise to see that the Earth was still there. He brought his stamp collection to the beach to finally set it in order and put the meteors aside just in case. The rest sat on the rock and exposed their mouths to the sun.
- What is your cat's name? - the Snork Maiden asked Sniff.
- It's a secret - answered Sniff. The cat lied on his knees and purred looking at the sun.
- It think - said Moominmamma - it would be best to take this cake now and eat it at home, on the veranda. 'Cause we're going to return home, aren't we? Do you think that the forest and the garden and the house are still there?
- I think they probably are - said Moomintroll - C'mon, we will go and see (...)

Finn Family Moomintroll
- the original title: Trollkarlsen hatt. Tove Jansson 1948 Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Irena Szuch-Wyszomirska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1964.
[Eng. transl. by Elizabeth Portch]

The story an expedition to the Solitary Island where a meeting with Hattifaneters takes place plus a few words about the Royal Ruby and about the transformation of a living room into a jungle (a novel still a little childish in its undertone).

"It's moving straight towards the island" thought Snufkin with a thrill of joy and excitement. With eyes half-shut under the broad brim of his hat he imagined that he was floating on the very top of the bank made of clouds, that he was being shot over the sea by the hissing streak of lightning. The sun was gone and the rain like a gray curtain glided over the sea. Snufkin turned around and skipping from one stone to another he started to run. He made it to the tent just in time. Heavy rain drops had already started to tap on the sail canvas fluttering in the wind. Although there was still much time for the evening to come the world became plunged in darkness. Sniff wrapped himself up in a blanket as he was very afraid of the storm, the others sat curled up and nestling close to each other. There was a smell of Hemulen's botanic collections everywhere. Suddenly a terrible thunder roared just above their heads. The shine from the flash lightening brightened the tent time after time. The storm was rolling across the sky like a giant train and the sea was hurling big, foamy waves angrily at the Solitary Island.
- How lucky that we are not at sea now! - said Moominmamma.
- It's unbelievable, what a weather! The Snork Maiden slipped her trembling paw into Moomintroll's who immediately felt all manly and protective. Sniff kept screaming curled up under the blanket.

The Exploits of Moominpappa
- the original title: Muminpappans memoarer. Tove Jansson 1950, 1968 Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Teresa Chlapowska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1978.
[Eng. transl. by Thomas Warburton]

It's a story of Moominpappas youth written and coloured by himself. These colorations are an effect of, as he claims, the fact that with years his memory stopped serving him as good as it used to. The author himself suggests reading the exploits once again after having read them for the first time.

(...) As Moominpappa reached this point in his exploits he felt so moved by his unhappy childhood that he had to relax psychically for a moment. He put a cap over his pen and came to the window. Not a sound was to be heard in the Moominvalley, just the gentle evening wind murmured in the garden and Moomintroll's rope ladder swung back and forth by the house wall. "I would succeed in making my escape even now - thought Moominpappa - What of it, that I'm not as young as I was back then!". He smiled to himself. Then he put his legs out of the window and pulled the rope-ladder over to himself.
- Hey, dad - called Moomintroll from the next window - what are you doing?
- Gymnastics, my son - answered Moominpappa - A needed thing! One step down, two steps up! Good for the muscles!
- Just don't fall down, will you? By the way, how are your exploits?
- Good - said Moominpappa and pulled his trembling legs back over the window ledge - I have just ran away. The Hemulen's Aunt is crying. Everything will be extremely touchy.
- When are you going to read that to us? - Moomintroll asked intrigued.
- Soon - confirmed Moominpappa - As soon as I reach the boat. There's nothing more pleasant than reading aloud what you have just written.
- Sure thing - agreed Moomintroll and yawned - Good night!
- Good night to you, too - said Moominpappa taking the cap off the pen - OK, so where did we leave off… Oh, yes. I have just ran away and the next morning, no this comes later. I have to describe my night-time escape first.(...)

Moominsummer Madness
- the original title: Farlig midsommar. Tove Jansson 1954 Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Irena Szuch-Wyszomirska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1967.
[Eng. transl. by Thomas Warburton]

The story of a great flood that temporary deprives our heroes of their house, but also awakens their passion for the theatre . It was then that Moominpappa composed a legendary play "The lion's fiancées or family ties" which couldn't be really understood by anyone but himself (and this is not certain as well).

(...)"Suddenly a quiet rumble was to be heard under their feet and at the same time they heard the pots falling down with awful racket from the shelves in the kitchen. - Is it breakfast already? - asked Moominmamma starting up from her bed - What's happening?
- Nothing, dear. Just the fire-belching mountain has been moving a little. Just think how many paper-weighs... Now even Mymble hd got up and everybody stood by the balustrade on the veranda and watched.
- Where's that mountain? - asked Moomintroll. On a small island. On a small, black island where nothing grows.
- Don't you think it's, well, a little dangerous? - whispered Moomintroll and slipped his paw into Moominpappa's.
- Well, it is - answered Moominpappa politely - Maybe it is even a little dangerous. Moomintroll nodded ravished. At the same moment they heard a violent crash. It was carried from the seaside, seemed like a murmur at first and then like a more and more powerful thunder. In the middle of the bright night they saw something enormous rising up from behind the forest and over the tree-tops. It had a white, foamy crest on the top and kept growing..
- I think we shall go to the living room now, shan't we? - said Moominmamma. Just as their tails disappeared behind the threshold a huge wave rushed into the Moominvalley plunging everything in complete darkness. The house swung a little but didn't fall over, as it was a very solid house.(...)

Moominland Midwinter
- the original title: Trollvinter. Copyright by Tove Jansson 1957, Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Irena Szuch-Wyszomirska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1969.
[Eng. transl. by Thomas Warburton]

A story about some winter when Moomintroll - a creature cut out for sleeping the winter off - woke up and didn't feel like going back to sleep. This caused quite a lot of interesting events. From this novel you can find out who ate away all of the Moominfamily's candied fruits and meet a Hemulen who loved to take baths in an air-hole.

(...) - Look, over there you've got the one who lives under the cupboard in the kitchen. It was a rather small animal with bushy eyebrows, it sat there all alone gazing into the fireplace. Moomintroll sat next to it and asked
- I hope the crusty bread wasn't too old?
The animal looked at him but didn't answer.
- You've got incredibly bushy eyebrows - tried Moomintroll again striving to enter into conversation.
- Snadaff umuh - said the animal.
- Excuse me? - asked Moomintroll startled.
- Radamsa - answered the animal with irritation.
- He speaks his own language and how he thinks you have offended him - explained Too-tiki.
- I didn't mean to do that - said Moomintroll and added pleadingly - Radamsa, radamsa.
- Now what? - asked Moomintroll
- It's going to live under the cupboard for another year, isn't it? The animal with bushy eyebrows really lost its temper, stood up and disappeared.(...)

Tales from Moominvalley
- the original title: Det osynliga barnet. Copyright by Tove Jansson 1962, Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Irena Szuch-Wyszomirska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1975.
[Eng. transl. by Thomas Warburton]

This book is the one that should be read at the beginning. It consists of a few stories from the little trolls' life and a few visits in their small, but how very beautiful world (here you can for example find out what Fillyjonk was afraid of and what was the Hattifatteners greatest secret)

(...) The rainy clouds disappeared slowly nad the sun finally shone from behind them. The wet garden was transpiring and sparkling around him, all green and serene. Nobody had loped the trees that grew here and no one had done any cleaning for a very long time. The branches of the trees reached the ground, the bushes creped up the trees and the streams that grandma got designed and excavated at her time jingled in the verdure. Now they didn't serve the purpose of irrigation any more, they existed just for themselves, but there were still many bridges crossing them though the paths were gone since long ago. The Hemulen sunk in the green, friendly silence, he enveloped himself and soaked in it and he felt so young like he never had before. "Oh, how nice it is to get old and retired - he thought - Oh, how I love my relatives. Especially now, that I don't need to think about hem any more". He worked his way throught the tall, glistening grass, embraced a couple of trees and eventually fell asleep on a glade in the middle of the garden. That was where grandma's house used to stand. The times of her great festivals with fireworks had come to an end long ago. Now there were many young trees over here and the bedroom gave place to an enormous bush of wild roses with a thousand of red flowers.(...)

This and the following novel, the last from the Moominseries is practically an adult's book, children won't find it interesting. It's, apart from "Moominvalley in November", the most beautiful of the Moominbooks. It's quite a strange and melancholic story about a lighthouse, a lamplighter, loneliness and most of all about the sea.

(...) At dusk the fisherman sensed soon arrival of a great big wave. He pulled the boat far onto the headland, turned it heel side up, them curled up into a gray, wrinkled ball and allowed complete solitude to envelop him. Of all winds he liked the south-west one was his favourite. It was running riot now and didn't seem like spending itself before the nightfall. It was an autumn wind which would blow sometimes for a good few weeks until the waves grew into high, gray hills and then collapsed over the island and got shattered against it. The fisherman sat in his house and watched the rising sea. What a lovely feeling it was not having to take care of anybody. Nobody around, nobody who would tell stories or ask questions, not a soul or thing he would regret or feel sorry for. Just the mysterious, inconceivable power of the sea and the sky streaming at him and all around him;never letting him down.(...)

Moominvalley in November
- the original title: Sent i november. Copyright by Tove Jansson 1970 Schildts Förlags Ab, Esbo Finland. Copyright for the Polish translation by Teresa Chlapowska. Copyright for the Polish edition by Wydawnictwo "Nasza Ksiegarnia", Warszawa 1980.
[Eng. transl. by Kingsley Hart]

It's a story about the Moomintrolls who really appear only in the recollections and tales of the characters visiting their house while Moomintrolls themselves dwell on the Island. It's a very poetic and clever book full of humor and unusual characters. The last, but also the most beautiful book of the series.

(...) When everybody else had gone to sleep Grandpa Grumble went upstairs with a candle in his hand. He stood before the big wardrobe and whispered: - Are you there? I know you are. Very slowly he opened the mirrored door of the wardrobe. The glimmer hardly smouldered and the hall was dark. However, Grandpa Grumble very clearly saw the Ancestor standing in front of him. He was holding a walking stick and a hat and looked just incredibly. He was dressed in spats and a dressing-gown far too long for him. No sign of glasses. Grandpa grumble took a step forward and the Ancestor did the same. - Ah, so you don't live in the tile-stove any more? How old are you? Do you ever wear glasses? He was very excited and hit the floor with his cane to lay emphasis on what he was saying. The Ancestor did the same, but he didn't answer. He must be deaf said Grandpa Grumble to himself. An old fogey, deaf as a post. Anyway, it was nice to meet someone who knew how it was to be old. He stood there for a long time looking at the Ancestor. Finally he raised his hat and bowed. The Ancestor did the same. They parted with a feeling of reciprocal deference.(...)