Hugh Laurie Book:

Editorial Review:
Poor little chap! He had been turned into a very strange animal indeed ...Although they're small, fat and shy creatures; Moomins have the most amazing adventures. It all begins when Moominpappa tries on a magic hat that makes exciting and funny things happen.

Finn Family Moomintroll Reviews:
My new favorite books for children of all ages
2008-10-13 - I love these books. They are amazingly unique. I was given the first book years ago and it sat on my shelf for ages. Then, for some reason, I picked it up and read it! It was so much fun. I actually laughed to myself while reading it! Of course, I had to read more and more of the books. Thank heavens there are plenty of them to read. Start with this book. You will have grand time!

These are a "must not miss" for kids and grownups alike
2008-07-28 - I grew up in the states, but my parents lived for a time in Europe before having a family and spent many hours in book shops(their hobby). Forty-some years ago my mother (whose taste in literature was instinctive and impeccable)found a boxed set for me (who knows where) and I have memories of that being the best Christmas present I ever got. They were charming, sensitive, adorable, witty little stories that withstand the test of time admirably. The characters are unforgettable; they let their hearts out to play in a way that readers young(and old)can empathize with. And the best part is - I get to share them with my daughter, now.

Spring Stories of Moomintroll
2008-07-17 -
After living in Finland for a while, I decided to read the Moomin series of books. The first one seems "Moomins and the Great Flood" does not seem to be on Amazon but is available (in English) at least from the Moomin store in Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

Anyways, Finn Family Moomintroll is a great children's book. It starts when Moomintroll wakes up and, together with Snufkin finds the Hobgoblins hat. There is something strange with the hat and most of the story is somewhat centered around it. I won't ruin the whole story, but the rest include boats, fish, wooden ladies, hattifratters, big rubies, fish.

The book is well written and I do recommend it for children or moomin fanatics. It also clearly has Finnish cultural influences, which are nice to recognize. So, why just three stars? It's a good book, it's not a great book (for example, not comparable to Alice in Wonderland). Also, it's not a book I would recommend to most adults.


Hoopla-do about not much
2008-05-01 - For me this book was a mess - disjointed, self indulgent, and self important, with so many characters it left my, and my childs head in a spin. Finally managed to struggle through it, but in hind-sight, the book had little that was coherent about it, and left me wishing we had read something else. Reading all these reviews makes me wonder who is writing them - the authors or the publishers?

Its complete tripe.

sweet imagination
2008-02-22 - A little to my surprise my seven year old son loves these moomin books - To me they seem from another age [I remember them from my childhood] The moomin world is full of gentle humour and a cast of sweetly strange characters romping through the long summer days in a Finnish forest. Good for imaginative kids who like to imagine other worlds. My son loves Anime and films like "My Neighbour Totoro" and these books have that kind of sensibility