Moominland Midwinter facts for kids
First edition (Swedish)
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| Author | Tove Jansson |
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| Original title | Trollvinter |
| Country | Finland |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Moomins |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Gebers |
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Publication date
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1957 |
| Pages | 168 |
| Preceded by | Moominsummer Madness |
| Followed by | Tales from Moominvalley |
Moominland Midwinter (which means Trollvinter in Swedish) is the fifth book in the popular Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1957. This story is a bit different from the earlier Moomin books. It explores deeper feelings and challenges, which continues in the later books too. In this book, Moomintroll often feels lonely, sad, or even scared. He has to learn to survive in a world that feels new and strange to him. Even with these new feelings, the book still has the charm of the Moomin world. It helps us understand Moomintroll's character much better.
What Happens in the Story?
The Moomin family usually sleeps through the whole winter, a process called hibernation. But this time, Moomintroll wakes up early and can't fall back asleep. He finds a world he's never seen before. The sun doesn't rise, and the ground is covered with cold, white snow.
Moomintroll feels lonely at first. But soon, he meets Too-ticky, a wise spirit who sings mysterious songs. He also finds his old friend Little My, who loves sliding down the snowy hills. She even uses Moominmamma's silver tea tray as a sled!
The friends work together to build a snow horse. This horse is for a special character called the Lady Of The Cold. They also feel sad about a squirrel who looked into the Lady's eyes and froze. But later, Moomintroll sees a squirrel alive, so it seems the first one might have come back to life.
As the cold winter goes on, many other characters arrive in Moominvalley. They are looking for warmth, shelter, and Moominmamma's delicious jam. Some of these visitors include the mysterious The Groke, a small dog named Sorry-oo, and a very energetic skiing Hemulen.
Characters You'll Meet
- Moomintroll: The main character who wakes up early from hibernation and has to learn to live in the winter world.
- Too-ticky: A wise and calm character who helps Moomintroll understand the winter.
- Little My: A tiny, brave, and sometimes mischievous friend who loves winter activities.
- The Lady Of The Cold: A powerful and chilling figure of winter.
- The Groke: A lonely and cold creature who freezes everything she touches.
- Sorry-oo: A small, shy dog looking for warmth and friendship.
- Hemulen: A character who loves skiing and is full of energy.
The Book on Screen
Moominland Midwinter was used for some episodes of the 1990 TV series. These were episodes 22, 23, and 37. The book also inspired the 2017 movie called Moomins and the Winter Wonderland. This film features many characters and events from the book.
