Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Moominpappa has a terrible cold and decides that the best thing to do under the circumstances is to remain quiet and compile his memoirs. In a ponderous manner, he writes of his escape from a foundling home, his link-ups with Joxter, Muddler, and Hodgekins, and the escapades that follow. He reads the chapters aloud to his own little Moomintroll and to the sons of his fellow adventurers. Often they react as many readers will: ``But all those sad feelings...are a bit unnecessary. It's all so long.'' Warburton's translation retains the witty and clever tone of the Finnish writer's tales of Moominland, but the allusions and sardonic humor are often too sophisticated to appeal to the young audience this animal fantasy is likely to attract. For instance, Moominmanna responds to one of Moominpappa's readings, "`Everything'll be much more vivid if you have some passages where you aren't bragging.'" The story moves slowly and the characters, with the exception of the Muddler, don't come alive. A selection mainly for fans of the author's previous stories set in Moominland.-Suzanne Hawley, Laurel Oak Elementary School, Naples, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Confined to the house with a nasty cold, Moominpappa fills his time by writing his memoirs and reading them to his family. Illustrated with line drawings, the amusing account of Moominpappa's adventurous early years introduces numerous unforgettable characters, including the Joxter, the Muddler, the Nibling, Edward the Booble, and the dreaded Hemulen Aunt. Fine fare for Moomin fans. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Jansson's (Sun City, 1976, etc.) little Moomin creatures return in this most recently translated addition to her classic series. Sick in bed, Moominpappa takes the opportunity to record the fascinating history of his life. Moominpappa was not always the comfortable patriarch of Moominvalley he is today. In fact, he began life on the doorstep of the Moomin Foundling Home, where he spent a short period before the austerity of the place drove him to run away. In the forest he encountered Hodgkins, who would become his closest crony. The two of them--along with Hodgkins's nephew, Muddler, and his unkempt friend Joxter- -travel away on Hodgkins's boat, the Oshun Oxtra. (The name should have been the Ocean Orchestra, but Muddler found that rather hard to spell.) The little Moomin has breathtaking adventures, meets exciting people. Then who should come finally riding in on an enormous wave, clutching her pocketbook, but Moominmamma? The rest is, of course, Moominhistory. In Jansson's epilogue, Hodgkins returns, and the entire Moominfamily leaves on the Oshun Oxtra for more adventures. Moominpappa's memoir is charming, his self- consciously formal language a delight. Completely winning. (Fiction. 7-12)
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