Sort of Books The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My Jansson Tove

And so, for the very first time, we meet the young Moomin, Moominmamma and Sniff as they search through forest and flood for long lost Moominpappa, last seen wandering with the Hattifatteners. Along the way, in a series of delightful adventures, they encounter Hemulens, stranded kittens and the blue-haired Tulippa • The Moomins and the Great Flood was the original Moomin story, published in Finland in 1945. A rediscovered gem, it offers an extraordinary glimpse into Tove Jansson’s unique vision, featuring beautiful sepia watercolours as well as the pen and ink drawings that would become her trademark

A little girl is transported with the help of magic glasses from the tedium of a summer afternoon into an exciting world of mangrove swamps, spluttering volcanoes and sea, where birds fly upside down and wild things threaten to pounce. But she is not alone. Old friends from Moomin Valley – Hemulen, Sniff, Snufkin, Thingummy & Bob – have joined her in her journey, and Tooticky too, who rides to their rescue in a stripey balloon • And who should be waiting to celebrate their safe landing? Why, Moomin of course • This brand new version of a classic book pairs Jansson’s irresistible artwork with a playful rhyming text by Sophie Hannah, one of Britain’s star poets, and calligraphy by Peter Blegvad: the perfect match for Jansson’s quirky illustrations

“One cold and windy autumn evening many years ago a newspaper parcel was found on the doorstep of the Home for Moomin Foundlings. In that parcel I lay, quite small and shivering with cold.” • So begins Moominpappa’s remarkable Memoirs, written to delight his son Moomintroll and friends. What emerges • is a story about storytelling itself as one fabulous tale follows another, and not just about Moominpappa but Sniff and Snufkin’s fathers too – the rather muddled Muddler and the carefree Joxter. Add to this mix the genius inventor Hodgkins, and a grand finale in which Moominpappa rescues a shipwrecked Moominmamma from the waves, and the fun becomes irresistible • The Memoirs of Moominpappa, which Tove Jansson rewrote from the original Exploits of Moominpappa, is published for the first time in the UK in this Collector’s Edition

Aunt Gerda – the good listener – fears the encroaching forgetfulness of old age. Her solution is to create an artwork that will record and, inevitably, betray the secrets long confided in her. So begins Jansson’s short story debut, a tour de force of scalpel-sharp narration that takes us from a disquieting homage to the artist Edward Gorey, to perfect evocations of childhood innocence and recklessness, to a city ravaged by storms, or the slow halting thaw of spring. These stories are gifts of originality and depth • The Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson achieved worldwide fame as the creator of the Moomin stories, written between 1945 and 1970 and still in print in more than twenty languages. However, the Moomins were only a part of her prolific output

An elderly artist and her six-year-old grand-daughter while away a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. As the two learn to adjust to each other’s fears, whims and yearnings, a fierce yet understated love emerges – one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the very island itself • Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story. Tove Jansson captured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. This new edition, with a Foreword by Esther Freud, sees the return of a European literary gem – fresh, authentic and deeply humane

The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society finds Chris and his family still living on their farm, El Valero, and with its easy ‘Sun-Lit’ charm and funny, evocative anecdotes, it will draw in new and old readers alike • You will find yourself laughing out loud as Chris is instructed by his daughter on local teenage mores; bluffs his way in art history to millionaire Bostonians; is rescued off a snowy peak by the Guardia Civil; and joins an Almond Blossom Appreciation Society • You’ll cringe with Chris as he stries his hand at office work in an immigrants’ advice centre in Granada, spurred into action by the arrival of four destitute young Moroccans at El Valero. And you’ll never see olive oil in quite the same way again… • In this sequel to ‘Lemons’ and ‘Parrot’, Chris Stewart’s optimism and zest for life is as infectious as ever

In the deep winter snows of a Swedish hamlet, a strange young woman fakes a break-in at the house of an elderly artist in order to persuade her that she needs companionship. But what does she hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom? In this portrayal of two women encircling each other with truth and lies, nothing can be taken for granted. By the time the snow thaws, both their lives will have changed irrevocably

Following the success of Tove Jansson’s children’s classic, The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My, Sort Of Books is delighted to present her equally magic and universally appealing story of Toffle, a lonely, timid creature’s journey in search of friendship and confidence • Who Will Comfort Toffle?: a tale of Moomin Valley sees Toffle driven from his home by the frightening noises of the forest. Too shy at first to approach the many colourful Moomin characters he passes along the way, he gains confidence by discovering a scared and lonely Miffle who needs his help. Toffle’s quest to save Miffle from the dreadful Groke is an inspiring tale that every child (and many adults) are sure to identify with. In Scandinavia, this is one of the most popular of Tove Jansson’s books and in the 43 years since first publication it has never once been out of print

Floating teacups, a prison break and a theatre cast adrift…it’s Moominsummer Madness! • The Moomins, in case you didn’t know, are kind, philosophical creatures with velvety fur and smooth round snouts, who live in a tall blue house in a beautiful woodland valley beside the sea • One summer a grumbling volcano causes Moominvalley to flood, forcing the Moomins to leave their beloved home and find refuge on a floating theatre. When this casts adrift, leaving Moomin, the Snorkmaiden and Little My marooned on land, Moominsummer Madness ensues • Will they all be reunited before the final curtain? • Moominsummer Madness, the fourth novel in the Moomin series, was published in 1954. It has remained in print for over sixty years, appearing in more than fifty languages

The Moomins, in case you didn’t know, are kind, philosophical creatures with velvety fur and smooth round snouts, who live in a tall blue house in a beautiful woodland valley beside the sea • Featuring the much loved stories in Waterstone’s Oxfam bestseller, The Invisible Child and The Fir Tree – the Moomins’ gloriously funny and generous take on Christmas – Tales from Moominvalley collects together nine delightful Moomin short stories. Highlights include The Spring Tune (which Jarvis Cocker described as the best story about composing music) and The Last Dragon in the World, revealing the true essence of friendship. A perfect Christmas gift to complete the set of Moomin classics • Tales from Moominvalley, the sixth novel in the Moomin series, was published in 1962

The Moomin series begins with the most thrilling adventure of all … • The Moomins, in case you didn’t know, are kind, philosophical creatures with velvety fur and smooth round snouts, who live in a tall blue house in a beautiful woodland valley, beside the sea • When mysterious signs start to appear of a strange star with a tail, young Moomintroll and his friend Sniff set off to consult the professors in the distant Lonely Mountains. Their journey is packed with adventures which they share with new friends they meet on the way – Snufkin, the carefree wanderer, the fascinating Snorkmaiden, and her brother the Snork. They discover that a ery comet is heading straight for their beloved Moominvalley. But can they race home before the comet crashes?

In 1961, at the request of her Italian Publisher, Tove Jansson created a unique new edition of Moominland Midwinter, the tale in which Moomin wakes from hibernation to contend all on his own with the mysterious new world of winter. The text and internal line drawings of this much loved story were unchanged, but she added a beautiful new cover illustration and seven glorious full-page colour illustrations plus a colour panorama. It was the only Moomin title that she reworked in this way and became a prized item for fans and collectors. For the first time, this edition will now be available for Moomin fans in the UK