If you haven’t met a Moomin yet, you’re missing the most magical fun! Perfect for readers of all ages, join the beloved, world-famous characters of Moominvalley on an unforgettable adventure in Moominsummer Madness ―includes black-and-white illustrations throughout. “Genius.” ―Philip Pullman “Clever, gentle, witty, and completely engrossing.” ―Jeff Smith, author of Bone When a flood sweeps through Moominvalley, the Moomins must find a new house. And with typical Moomin good luck, one just happens to be floating by. It looks normal enough, but there are curtains where one wall should be, strange rows of lights, and other odd amenities. Then Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden disappear, and the family realize that the house may hold the answers to more than they ever dreamed. In the 80 years since the first Moomin novel appeared, Tove Jansson’s timeless stories have continued to captivate audiences across the globe with their adventure, humor, and endless wisdom. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a first-time visitor to Moominvalley, these classic books are a must-have for anyone who wishes the world was a bit more magical. The original Moomin novels by Tove Jansson: ● Comet in Moominland ● Finn Family Moomintroll ● Moominpappa’s Memoirs ● Moominsummer Madness ● Moominland Midwinter ● Tales from Moominvalley ● Moominpappa at Sea ● Moominvalley in November Books for the littlest Moomin fans, up to 3 years old: ● Moomin’s Lift the Flap Hide and Seek: with Big Flaps for Little Hands ● Moomin’s Little Book of Numbers ● Moomin’s Little Book of Words “There is, in short, everything in the Moon books: giant comets and secret caves and tree houses and stilts and magic-carpet clouds and amusement parks run by despotic practical-joking kings and time machines and ski instructors.” ― Harper's “We need Moominland for its gentle pace, its sense of beauty and awe, and its spirit of friendliness and empathy―now more than ever.” ― The Horn Book “These charming fantasies are propelled by a childlike curiosity and filled with quiet wisdom, appealing geniality, and a satisfying sense of self-discovery.” ― School Library Journal.com “If you had no shame reading Harry Potter on the subway, there's no need to hide Tove Jansson's witty, whimsically illustrated Finnish series.” ― Daily Candy “It's more than forty years since Jansson's Moomintrolls first appeared. I found the writing and invention as appealing as ever. She has a thistledown touch.” ― The Washington Post Book World “The Moomin books make for both splendid bedtime read-alouds and solitary savoring.” ― The Wall Street Journal “The adventures of the easygoing Moomintrolls have all the crispness and tart surprise of a lingonberry, thanks to Jansson's ineffably light touch, her uncanny sensitivity to universal childhood emotions, and her gift for terse, naturalistic dialogue.” ― Entertainment Weekly “A gentle, offbeat fantasy.” ― The Horn Book “Jansson was a genius of a very subtle kind. These simple stories resonate with profound and complex emotions that are like nothing else in literature for children or adults: intensely Nordic, and completely universal.” ― Philip Pullman “Tove Jansson is undoubtedly one of the greatest children's writers there has ever been. She has the extraordinary gift of writing books that are very clearly for children, but can also be enjoyed when the child, like me, is over sixty and can still find new pleasures with the insights that come from adulthood.” ― Sir Terry Pratchett “Clever, gentle, witty, and completely engrossing.” ― Jeff Smith, author of Bone “It's not just Tove Jansson's wonderfully strange fairytale world that so appeals but also her beautiful line work and exquisite sense of design.” ― Lauren Child “[Tove Jansson] is a master.” ― The Times Literary Supplement (London) “The most original works for children to be published since the Pooh books, and possibly, since Alice.” ― Saturday Review “You will declare yourself a citizen of Moominvalley and call the stories your own--the Moomin world is that compelling.” ― Riverbank Review Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001) was a legendary Finnish children’s book author, artist, and creator of the Moomins, who came to life in children's books, comic strips, theater, opera, film, radio, theme parks, and TV. Moominsummer Madness By Tove Jansson Square Fish Copyright © 2010 Tove Jansson All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312608910 Chapter 1 About a bark boat and a volcano Moominmamma was sitting on the front steps in the sun, rigging a model bark schooner. “One big sail on the mainmast, and one on the foremast, and several small three-cornered ones to the bowsprit, if I remember rightly,” she thought. The rudder was a ticklish job, and the hold an odder one. Moominmamma had cut a tiny bark hatch, and when she laid it on, it fitted snugly and neatly over the hold. “Just in case of a hurricane,” she said to herself with a happy sigh