“Here’s little Moomintroll, none other, hurrying home with milk for mother. Quick, Moomintroll, it’s nearly night. Run home while there’s a bit of light. Don’t hang around in woods like these. Strange creatures lurk between the trees. The wind begins to howl and hiss. Now, guess what happens after this. ” 

The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My
Tove Jansson

Moomintroll is taking milk back home to his mother, Moominmamma, when he meets the Mymble, who is searching for her missing sister, Little My. Together, the pair look for her and encounter many of the characters in Moominvalley.

The full-colour Moomin picture book, with playful rhyming text, is innovative in its use of cutouts from page to page that give a sneak peek into the surprises on the following page.

In this short documentary below, Tove Jansson’s striking original illustrations come to life through new animations and newly written music by composer Lauri Porra. You will also see unique material from the archives, showing Jansson’s handcrafted drafts and mini models of the book, shedding new light on how complicated it was to design “the crown jewel of Moomin books” without any of the modern technology we have today.

The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My on the publisher Sort of Books’ website.

The book was first published in Swedish as Hur gick det sen? Boken om Mymlan, Mumintrollet och lilla My in 1952 and was translated into English in 1953.