The Moomins and the Great Flood facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Tove Jansson |
|---|---|
| Original title | Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen |
| Translator | David McDuff |
| Country | Finland |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Moomins |
| Genre | Children's novel |
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Publication date
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1945 |
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Published in English
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2005 |
| Pages | 52 |
| ISBN | 951-50-1550-2 (English) |
| OCLC | 76859232 |
| Followed by | Comet in Moominland |
The Moomins and the Great Flood is a wonderful book written by the Finnish author Tove Jansson. She wrote it in 1945, right at the end of World War II. This book was the very first story to feature the Moomins! Even though it came first, many people see it as a warm-up to the main Moomin adventures. That's because most of the famous Moomin characters you might know appear in the next book.
The Moomins' Big Adventure
The story begins with Moominmamma and Moomintroll. They are traveling through a dark and a bit scary forest. They are looking for Moominpappa, who has gone off on an adventure with the Hattifatteners. Along the way, they meet a small creature who joins them. In later books, this creature is named Sniff.
They use a glowing tulip to light their path. While crossing a swamp, a giant serpent attacks them! Luckily, a beautiful young girl named Tulippa appears from the tulip. She has shining blue hair and scares the serpent away, saving them.
Later, they reach a mountain and find an old man's home. He invites them to live in his garden, which is completely made of sweets! But they soon discover that the "sun" is just a giant lamp, and there's no real food. So, they decide to leave and continue their journey. They travel through the mountain to a beach on the other side.
On the beach, Moominmamma is attacked by an ant-lion. But Moomintroll and the others manage to save her. Deciding to move on, they find a group of Hattifatteners getting ready to sail on a boat. Moominmamma, Moomintroll, and their new friends join them. A big storm hits, but a kind sea-troll helps them. He guides the boat safely to a large harbor, where they go ashore.
Finding Moominpappa
After saying goodbye to the Hattifatteners, they travel inland. They meet a boy with red hair who lives in a lighthouse. Tulippa decides to stay with him. But the others learn from the boy that Moominpappa had passed through recently. So, they set out to find him.
Soon, a rainstorm starts and lasts for several days, causing a big flood. Moominmamma bravely saves a family of cats from the rising water. When the rain finally stops, they sail across the flooded land on an armchair! They find a message in a bottle from Moominpappa. He tells them he escaped the flood by climbing up a tree.
As the water starts to go down, they finally reach dry land. They begin searching for Moominpappa. At first, they don't have any luck. But then, a marabou stork helps them! The stork flies them high into the air, and they finally spot Moominpappa.
Reunited at last, the Moomin family and the little creature travel on. They soon find the house Moominpappa had built. The flood had carried it into a small valley. They decide to live there, happy to be together in their new home.
When Was It Translated?
The Moomins and the Great Flood was the last Moomin book to be translated into English. This happened in 2005. It was a special way to celebrate 60 years of the Moomins! The book was published by Schildts Förlags Ab publishing house. It was first released as a limited hardback version. This book is still published by Schildts and has been well-received by readers.
