The Muffletumps: The Story of Four Dolls

by Jan Wahl, Edward Ardizzone (Illustrator)

As the people drove off for summer vacation, four dolls crawled out of an attic Henrietta who could fry eggs, Edward who made up poems, Maud who loved to wear orange and purple ribbons even when she was nursing, and Elsie who played the piano.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Jan Wahl was an American author best known for his imaginative and influential children’s books, which combined wit, warmth and a deep respect for young readers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Wahl showed artistic promise early, performing piano on children’s radio programs and appearing on stage alongside legendary magician Harry Blackstone Sr. He studied at Cornell University, where he took classes with Vladimir Nabokov, and continued his education in Europe as a Fulbright scholar before completing graduate studies in the United States.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.

Reviews

[Håvard Bjørnelv]

En nydelig bok! Enhver person med snev av filminteresse vil like denne boka som er stappfull av referanser til kjente og mindre kjente filmer. Selv er jeg bare gjennomsnittlig kjent i filmens verden, men denne boka elsket jeg. I tillegg til flotte filmreferanser, og kanskje mer enn noe annet, er dette en fortelling om en tenåringsfar og hans forhold til sønnen. Boka skildrer hvordan foreldre trekkes mellom det å beskytte og det å forberede sine barn på livet. Enhver forelder vil kjenne seg igjen i bekymringer og frykt for barnas liv og framtid kombinert med håp og stolthet når det går bra. Men hva kan man gjøre for å hjelpe sin tenåringssønn over hans første kjærlighetssorg?



En bok om de små ting, som i øyeblikket er verdens viktigste, i hvert fall om du ser det fra ungdommens synsvinkel. En bok om nærhet, kjærlighet og viktigheten av det å bruke tid sammen.



Denne boka anbefales på det sterkeste!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite childhood storybook.

[Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.