Comet in Moominland
by Tove Jansson

The little trolls and friendly creatures of Moominvalley are seeing the signs everywhere: signs that the end of the world is near. A comet is coming, and it looks set to score a direct hit on the peaceful, green place Moomintroll loves. So he and his little friend Sniff set out on a journey to the Lonely Mountains, to ask the scientists at the great observatory whether Moominvalley can be saved. As a result, this second book in Tove Jansson's award-winning Moomin series (following The Moomins and the Great Flood) is full of hair-raising encounters, eerie landscapes, and a growing atmosphere of anxiety and sorrow as the Moomins' world of innocence and pleasure increasingly seems doomed.

As they go along, Sniff and Moomintroll make the acquaintance of several friends who will be with them through many Moominadventures to come: the footloose Snufkin whose friendship means so much to Moomintroll; the sweet-natured Snork Maiden and her somewhat pompous brother the Snork; and one particular, stamp-collecting Hemulen whose sphere of awareness is absurdly limited.

Even in translation, Tove Jansson's prose is amazingly direct and economical, while at the same time filling the nostrils of the mind with many heady scents of nature, and the heart with many tender, and occasionally tense, feelings. Her illustrations are also very clever and effective, varying between the simplicity of a comic strip and a whimsical, woodcut-like detail. The true wonder of them is how she makes such abstract, oddly shaped creatures seem so expressive and lovable.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

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