Moominpappa at Sea [Paperback]

Tove Jansson (Author), Kingsley Hart (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

When the Moomin family members need a change of scenery, they decide to take up residence in a lighthouse. As they discover their new home, the family also discover surprising, and wonderfully funny, new things about themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“There is, in short, everything in the Moon books: giant comets and secret caves and tree houses and stilts and magic-carpet clouds and amusement parks run by despotic practical-joking kings and time machines and ski instructors.” –Harper’s

“We need Moominland for its gentle pace, its sense of beauty and awe, and its spirit of friendliness and empathy—now more than ever.” –The Horn Book

“These charming fantasies are propelled by a childlike curiosity and filled with quiet wisdom, appealing geniality, and a satisfying sense of self-discovery.” –School Library Journal.com

“If you had no shame reading Harry Potter on the subway, there’s no need to hide Tove Jansson’s witty, whimsically illustrated Finnish series.” –Daily Candy

“The Moomin books make for both splendid bedtime read-alouds and solitary savoring.” –Wall Street Journal

 

“It’s more than forty years since Jansson’s Moomintrolls first appeared. I found the writing and invention as appealing as ever. She has a thistledown touch.”—The Washington Post Book World

“The adventures of the easygoing Moomintrolls have all the crispness and tart surprise of a lingonberry, thanks to Jansson’s ineffably light touch, her uncanny sensitivity to universal childhood emotions, and her gift for terse, naturalistic dialogue.”—Entertainment Weekly

“A gentle, offbeat fantasy.”—The Horn Book

“A lost treasure now rediscovered . . . A surrealist masterpiece.”—Neil Gaiman

“Jansson was a genius of a very subtle kind. These simple stories resonate with profound and complex emotions that are like nothing else in literature for children or adults: intensely Nordic, and completely universal.”—Philip Pullman

“Tove Jansson is undoubtedly one of the greatest children’s writers there has ever been. She has the extraordinary gift of writing books that are very clearly for children, but can also be enjoyed when the child, like me, is over sixty and can still find new pleasures with the insights that come from adulthood.”—Sir Terry Pratchett

“Clever, gentle, witty, and completely engrossing.”—Jeff Smith, author of Bone

“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.”—Lauren Child

“[Tove Jansson] is a master.”—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

“The most original works for children to be published since the Pooh books, and possibly, since Alice.”—Saturday Review

“You will declare yourself a citizen of Moominvalley and call the stories your own—the Moomin world is that compelling.”—Riverbank Review

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Finnish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374453063
• ISBN-13: 978-0374453060
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes the Quest is the Quest, September 7, 2001

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Moominpappa at Sea (Paperback)

Recently I had a conversation about books which affected us as children. I had the idea of returning to many of them to see if they still had value to an adult. My co-conspirator was European, and couldn't say enough about Tove Jansson, who, for many years, wrote the Moomin series. These are charming tales about a curious family of creatures. They entertain and teach at a deeper level than the cautionary tales that were often part of our experience as American children. Intrigued, I found a couple of volumes and set about reading them. The first of these is "Moominpappa at Sea."

The Moomin family is led by Moominpappa and Moominmamma. Following up behind are Moomintroll, the boy of the tale, and youngest is Little My, whose personality is best described as a bit thorny and imperturbable. The story starts with the Moomins living in a pleasant house near the Gulf of Finland. One is gradually drawn into the cadences of their conversation and little events that make up their lives. In addition, we meet the Groke, who is attracted to lamplight and freezes the ground where she stands. No sooner are we settled when, coming to the decision almost whimsically, the family determines to move to a small island across the sea where they will run a lighthouse. They load up their boat and sail off, with the Groke not far behind them.

The island has a gigantic lighthouse at one end, and its only inhabitant, a fisherman at the other. In short order Moominpappa is building furniture and trying to start up the lighthouse lamp, while Moominmamma works at making their new home livable. Moomintroll wanders the island investigating, finding a perfect place to hide, mermaids, and, eventually, the Groke, who will only stand and stare at the lamp he holds. Eventually Moominpappa realizes he doesn't understand how to start the lamp and, goes on to try other enthusiasms. Moominmamma struggles with trying to feel at home. Moomintroll finds himself entranced by the seahorses and perplexed by the Groke. Of course, Little My observes and remarks on everyone's activity. There is a general sense of discomfort, and the island, as time goes on, seems to become increasingly dark and hostile.

How the Moomins deal with this strange island, the Groke, and the other mysteries about them is by virtue of a nature which is both natural and miraculous. They do not work magic, but they themselves are the stuff of magic. The story is about how each of them finds themselves, and as they do, the world about them changes as well. In the course of time, the lighthouse turns and the Groke becomes warm. All this happens by subtle degrees. There is an almost Zen-like quality to the pace of the book, which is told in a narrative style that begs to be read aloud. This is not a book for one who wants everything laid out crystal clear. Rather it speaks to those who want to be engaged, mystified, and, finally, enchanted.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it a try!, July 12, 2000

By 

kennedy19 "kennedy19" (wakefield, ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moominpappa at Sea (Paperback)

As a children's librarian, I often try to get kids interested in the wonderful Moominbooks. However, only certain children seem to catch on, while many do not. I'm not quite sure why this is so. The Moomins originated in Finland, where perhaps kids are more attuned to nature and the world around them, to taking time for subtleties, thinking outside the box, and quiet wit; instead of being bombarded by extra stimuli all the time. At any rate, adults as well as kids would do well to investigate a superb book such as this. Each character has a depth all their own in this tale of a family who sets sail to discover an island and a mysterious lighthouse. There they try to understand their new environment, each other, and themselves. Delightful cartoon drawings by the author illuminate this wistful, magical book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blessed is the child who appreciates this quiet book, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moominpappa at Sea (Paperback)

All the Moomin books are wonderful, and this one is certainly no exception. With a minimum of characters and an isolated setting, we are treated to a tale of subtle, mysterious, and introspective wonders. Deftly handled (I see so more the older I get) are the quite strength of Moominmamma, the frustrated ambitions of Moominpappa, the wistful sensitivity of Moomintroll, and the enviable independence of Little My. The early autumn atmosphere of deep pools, hidden thickets, lighthouse and storm are magical. First rate stuff.