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Swedish children's literature facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Tomtebobarnen
Illustration from Elsa Beskow's Tomtebobarnen (Children of the Forest), 1910

Swedish children's literature is a rich tradition of books written for young readers in Sweden. It began in the 1800s with Zachris Topelius, a Swedish-speaking writer from Finland. This type of literature really grew popular in the early 1900s.

Early Swedish Children's Books

One of the most important early authors was Elsa Beskow (1874–1953). She wrote and illustrated about 40 children's stories between 1897 and 1952. Her books were very popular and are still printed today in Sweden and many other countries.

A New Way of Thinking About Children's Books

In the 1930s, people started to understand children's needs better. They realized that books for kids should not just teach rules or morals. Instead, books should also help children use their imagination and have fun.

This new idea became very clear after World War II. In 1945, Astrid Lindgren published her famous book, Pippi Longstocking.

Astrid Lindgren: A Children's Literature Star

Pippi Longstocking was a brave and rebellious character. At first, some people did not like Pippi's behavior. They thought she was too wild. But soon, Astrid Lindgren's work was accepted. This helped children's literature become free from always having to teach a lesson.

Astrid Lindgren wrote many bestselling children's books. She became the most-read Swedish author of all time. Over 100 million copies of her books have been printed worldwide. They have been translated into more than 80 languages.

Stories with Important Messages

Lindgren often showed how well she understood children's thoughts and feelings.

Fun and Mischief in Books

Not all of Lindgren's stories had deep messages on the surface.

  • Her three books about Karlsson-on-the-Roof (1955, 1962, 1968) are about a short, chubby, and mischievous man. He has a propeller on his back and becomes friends with a boy. These stories became very loved in Russia during the Soviet era.
  • Astrid Lindgren also wrote twelve books about Emil of Maple Hills. Emil is a boy from the countryside in Småland in the early 1900s. He often gets into trouble because of his pranks.

Many of Astrid Lindgren's books were made into movies. Some of these movies were so good that they are still shown on Swedish television today.

Tove Jansson and the Moomins

Tove Jansson (1914–2001) was one of the few fantasy writers in Swedish literature. She was from Finland's Swedish-speaking minority and wrote in Swedish.

Jansson wrote her stories about the Moomins in nine books and four picture books between 1946 and 1993. The Moomins are trolls who live in their own independent world. They do not worry about money or things. This might be why the Moomins are so popular in many different countries. Moomin books have been translated into over 30 languages.

Other Notable Swedish Children's Authors

In more recent times, many other children's authors have become well-known. These include:

Joakim Lindengren is a Swedish comic book artist who also illustrates children's books.

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