Pippi Longstocking (book) facts for kids
Cover of first edition
|
|
| Author | Astrid Lindgren |
|---|---|
| Original title | Pippi Långstrump |
| Illustrator | Ingrid Vang Nyman |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Pippi Longstocking |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Rabén & Sjögren |
|
Publication date
|
November 1945 |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 0-14-030957-8 (Puffin Modern Classics, 1997) |
Pippi Longstocking (Swedish: Pippi Långstrump) is a super fun novel written by Astrid Lindgren. It first came out in Sweden on November 26, 1945. This book is the very first in a series all about the amazing Pippi Longstocking. Pippi is a special girl who lives all by herself in a big house. She has two awesome pets: a monkey named Mr. Nilsson and a horse that lives on her porch! Soon, she becomes best friends with Tommy and his sister Annika, who live right next door. By 2009, this popular book had been translated into 64 different languages around the world.
How Pippi Longstocking Was Created
The idea for Pippi Longstocking came to Astrid Lindgren in 1941. Her daughter, Karin, was seven years old and sick in bed. Karin asked her mom to tell her a story. So, Astrid Lindgren made up a character named Pippi Longstocking. She told her daughter many fun stories about Pippi.
In 1944, Astrid Lindgren wrote down these stories. She sent her book to a publisher, but they did not want to publish it. The next year, a different company, Rabén and Sjögren, announced a contest for children's books. Astrid Lindgren sent a new version of her Pippi book to them. It won first prize! The book was then published in 1945.
After that, Rabén and Sjögren also published more Pippi books. These included Pippi Goes on Board (1946) and Pippi in the South Seas (1948). The Pippi series has been translated into many languages. It has also been made into a TV show and two movies.
The Story of Pippi Longstocking
Pippi is a nine-year-old girl. She lives all alone in a big, old house called Villa Villekulla. This house is at the very end of a small town. Pippi lives by herself because her father, Captain Efraim Longstocking, disappeared at sea. Her mother passed away when Pippi was very young.
Pippi believes her mother is an angel in Heaven. She thinks her mother is watching her from above. Pippi also believes her father did not drown. Instead, she thinks he floated to an island and became a king of a friendly island tribe.
Luckily, Pippi's father had bought Villa Villekulla years ago. He planned to live there with Pippi when he got older. So, Pippi decides to move into the house. She brings two special things from her father's ship. One is her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, a gift from her dad. The other is a suitcase full of gold coins!
After moving in, Pippi also buys a horse. She keeps the horse right on her porch! Pippi loves living alone. No one tells her when to go to bed. And no one makes her take yucky medicine when she prefers candy.
Next door to Pippi's house live two polite siblings, Annika and Tommy. They first meet Pippi when she is walking backward on the road. They ask her why she is doing that. Pippi says a person can walk any way they want in a free country. She tells them that in Egypt, everyone walks backward.
Pippi then says that in Farthest India, people walk on their hands! Tommy and Annika think she is lying. Pippi then admits she was just joking. She says that in the Congo, nobody ever tells the truth.
After their chat, Pippi invites them to her house. They eat yummy pancakes together. Pippi tells them about people in Brazil who always have eggs in their hair. Then, she shows them amazing things she and her father brought home. These are from their journeys around the world.
Pippi gives them some gifts. Tommy gets a small knife with a shiny pearl handle. Annika receives a ring with a beautiful green stone. After a fun visit, Annika and Tommy go back to their own home.
