Tales from Moominvalley



Tales from Moominvalley (Swedish: Det osynliga barnet och andra berättelser Literally: The Invisible Child and other stories) is the ninth in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomin books and the seventh of long format ones, published in 1962. Instead of a novel, this is a book of short stories.

Like how the previous book, Who Will Comfort Toffle?, did not feature the Moomin family, Tales from Moominvalley expands on this concept and tells several stories of people elsewhere in Moominvalley who have no connection to the family.

The book is dedicated to Sophia, most likely referring to Sophia Jansson who was born the same year the book was first published.

Tales from Moominvalley contains nine stories:
 * The Spring Tune (Vårvisan) - a story about Snufkin trying to compose a new tune as he is travelling north to Moominvalley.
 * A Tale of Horror (En hemsk historia) - about a young whomper meeting Little My.
 * The Fillyjonk Who Believed in Disasters (Filifjonkan som trodde på katastrofer) - about Fillyjonk worrying for natural disasters and feeling misunderstood by Gaffsie.
 * The Last Dragon in the World (Historien om den sista draken i världen) - about Moomintroll and Snufkin finding a small, insect-like dragon, the first seen in 70 years.
 * The Hemulen Who Loved Silence (Hemulen som älskade tystnad) - about an unhappy Hemulen working in the family amusement park, only wanting to be retired and to build a dollhouse.
 * The Invisible Child (Berättelsen om det osynliga barnet) - about Ninny, a girl who turned invisible from being frightened by her caretaker.
 * The Secret of the Hattifatteners (Hatifnattarnas hemlighet) - about Moominpappa observing how the Hattifnatteners live on a boat.
 * Cedric (Cedric) - about the cuddly toy Cedric, which Sniff has given to Gaffsie's daughter.
 * The Fir Tree (Granen) - about the Moomin family waking up from their hibernation during christmas.

Adaptations
Various stories from the book have been adapted to television six times.


 * Moominvalley (1973)
 * The Moomins (1977)
 * The Fillyjonk Who Believed in Disasters (1978)
 * Moominvalley (1990)
 * Moomin (1990)
 * From the Life of the Little Trolls (2008)

The Polish 1977 version of the Fir Tree was restored with updated effects and cut into a feature length film in 2017.