The Dangerous Journey: A Tale of Moomin Valley

Moomin Picture Books #3

by Tove Jansson, Sophie Hannah (Translator)

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Poetry, Classics, Finnish Literature

28 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Tove Jansson was born and died in Helsinki, Finland. As a Finnish citizen whose mother tongue was Swedish, she was part of the Swedish-speaking Finns minority. Thus, all her books were originally written in Swedish.

Although known first and foremost as an author, Tove Jansson considered her careers as author and painter to be of equal importance.

Tove Jansson wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), during World War II. She said later that the war had depressed her, and she had wanted to write something naive and innocent. Besides the Moomin novels and short stories, Tove Jansson also wrote and illustrated four original and highly popular picture books.

Jansson's Moomin books have been translated into 33 languages.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

birthday book!! thank you, connor!

now i have all the moomin picture books! and this is a nice old edition - very difficult to find, and even though it is going to be reissued soon, i have it NOW. and you (most likely) don't.

muahahahaha...

it is the best book i have ever received as a present for which my beloved Peter Blegvad did the calligraphy. no small praise.this is the last moomin book tove jansson ever wrote, and it came out the year i was born. these are all wonderful facts.

here are some pictures of the art, which should make you very anxious for this reissue to happen, or to know where i live:









the story is typically dark and deceptively simple, with a singsong cadence that makes for a wonderful contrast between gentle and creepy. and i love that susanna's cat is referred to as a "full time furry napper." too cute.

i am only writing this review to make you jealous. if you like moomins, you should get this book to complete your collection. if you do not like moomins, you are deeply flawed. sad.

come to my blog!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

We reread this together today, a favourite bedtime read from when my children were small. Susanne is fed up with life being too safe and boring and her cat being too lazy so when some magic glasses appear she puts them on and things change. During her journey she meets some familiar characters from the moomin books and realises she can influence her dream.

Some really exceptional artwork. If you were able to read the original version the translation might grate on you, the rhyming is awkward in places but I'm sure it is hard to translate rhyming so it makes sense and flows and rhymes but I have read it so much it's easier and the task of reading it so it sounds normal has become an enjoyable challenge! Would highly recommend this to moomin fans.

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated children's book that should appeal to most fans of Moomin. The verse is translated and reworked into English by Sophie Hannah, but the star of the show is certainly Jansson's epic watercolors. Wild harsh landscapes and colors.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tove Jansson’s illustrations are beautiful as usual. The translated rhyming text felt a bit off.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1977 in the same format as Who Will Comfort Toffle?, this revisitation to Moonminvalley would follow not the Moomins (who join us at the end) but a young girl, Susanna, who, bored of a dull, perfectly normal life, finds herself imagined into a series of wild and wicked landscapes full of menacing birds and sharp mountain ranges.

This is a landscape filled with a series of 'psychological horrors', perhaps of the war that Tove had lived through, but with the warmth and colour of Moominvalley and the end of it all. I cannot help but wonder whether Susanna is Tove revisiting the Moomins one last time. Changed. Different. A part of a long story and of many decades of time spent with these creatures who have both made her but have, perhaps, also confined her. It's a fascinating, dangerous journey.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

En nyt oikein tahdo päästä yli tiedosta, että löysin tämän Janssonin kuvakirjan vasta nyt, ja siis luin sen äsken ensimmäistä kertaa?! Kuinkas sitten kävikään ja Kuka lohduttaisi Nyytiä oli lapsuuteni ehdottomia lempikirjoja, mitenhän lie tämä onkin jäänyt välistä?

Ihana kuvakirja, joka tapauksessa. Taattua, ihanan jännittävää Tove Janssonia.

[Harris]

insane watercolors

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think the illustration or plot in this is as strong as Who Will Comfort Toffle? Which was truly touching and moving, and a good book to be there for children who feel isolated, alone or afraid, while this one didn't seem to have any overarching theme and the main character of Susanna was overshadowed by other characters in the story and didn't really seem to have much personality.

I'm not sure whether it was the art itself, or the quality of the scan of the original artwork, but the Dangerous Journey's illustration felt a little out of focus and messy to me. There were a few double page spreads where the illustration did really shine, but I don't think this is the strongest of Jansson's works by far. However, by this point Jansson was getting fed up of illustrating and being known for mainly the Moomins, so I can forgive her for this picture book.

If I were to recommend anyone a starting point for the Moomins, it would not be this picture book.

[Paula Lukkariniemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tänään 12.8.2021 sain loppuun kirjan nimeltä Vaarallinen matka. Mielestäni Vaarallinen matka oli hyvä,mukava, mielenkiintoinen ja koukuttava kirja. Lukiessani kirjaa nimeltä Vaarallinen matka minulle tuli sellainen tunne että olisin ollut mukana Vaarallisella matkalla. Minulle tuli todella erittäin oikein hyvä mieli. 😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍💜😍

[Niina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riimitelty Muumikirja, jonka päähenkilönä onkin Sanna. Liisamainen seikkailu alkaa, kun Sanna herää kiukkuisena ja tylsistyneenä, silmälasit vaihtuvat toisiin ja yhtäkkiä kaikki onkin ihan erilaista, aika outoa ja vähän pelottavaakin. Sanna tapaa tuttuja hahmoja, Hemulin, Surku-koiran, Tiuhdin ja Viuhdin, Nipsun, Nuuskamuikkusen ja Tuutikin matkallaan, jonka aikana tulivuori purkautuu ja pelastaudutaan kuumailmapallon kyytiin, ennen kuin ollaan turvallisesti perillä Muumilaaksossa. Mutta tapahtuiko mitään oikeasti ja onko sillä edes merkitystä?

[Anu Korpinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tuli hankittua tämä viimeinen puuttuva muumikuvakirja omaan hyllyyn ja saman tien luimme sen yhdessä lapsen kanssa. Runosuomennos on tässä mielestäni vähän töksähtelevämpää ja vaikeaselkoisempaa kuin kirjoissa Kuinkas sitten kävikään tai Kuka lohduttaisi Nyytiä, mutta onhan mukana paljon kuolemattomia lausahduksia. Kohta jossa Nipsu sai yöllä ripulin luettiin monta kertaa.

[madziar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prawdopodobnie jest to wina polskiego przekładu (Teresa Chłapowska, 1986), ponieważ opowieść nie jest ani wierszem ani prozą, za to, jak można się domyślać, niemal wiernym przekładem z oryginału, pełnym konstrukcji dziwnych dla języka polskiego.
Mała dziewczynka, Zuzanna, siedzi z kotem na trawie i ma bardzo zły humor. Wyrzuca nawet swoje okulary, ale nagle staje się coś bardzo dziwnego - okulary zmieniają cały świat wokół. Wędruje po lesie, nad brzegiem morza, przez pustkowie - spotykając po drodze dziwne postacie - Bobka, Paszczaka, Topika i Topcię, Ryjka. Obserwuje wybuch wulkanu, śnieżycę, kryje się w grocie, w której Włóczykij gra z kimś w karty, leci z Too-tiki balonem, aż na samym końcu dociera do Doliny Muminków.
Książeczka ma bardzo duży potencjał, sugestywne obrazki lasu, wybuchu wulkanu i innych krajobrazów aż się proszą o nowszy przekład, odbiegający nieco od ścisłości a skłaniający się ku poezji języka.

[Gijs Grob · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Dangerous Journey' was the last of Jansson's books set in Moominvalley. It stars a young girl called Susanna whose imagination runs wild, turning her world into a dangerous place. The book's message comes at the very end: 'When adventure comes your way, enjoy it. Let it go'. A welcome message, but this the least interesting of the three Moomin picture books translated into English. There's not much of a story, and Jansson seemed to try to put almost every character from her tales into the short story. Most prominent are Sniff, Thingummy and Bob from 'Finn Family Moomintroll', and Sorry-Oo from 'Moominland Midwinter', but we can also see Snufkin, Wimsy, Little My, Mymble, Salome the Creep, Misabel and the complete Moominfamily. Jansson's artwork is rougher, more painting-like and less graphic than before, and the moody pictures add to the gloomy atmosphere. In fact, the artwork is much more interesting than the story, which is forgotten all too soon.

[Ebba · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

Vilken ljuvlig barnbok! Illustrationerna är helt vansinnigt vackra och jag skulle med glädje sätta upp några av dem på mina väggar hemma. Jag är en hardcore rimfantast och dessa var väldigt roliga och lite knasiga utan att få "nödrimsstämpeln". Dock störde jag mig lite på att det inte var perfekta antal stavelser på varje rad för att matcha nästa, vilket hindrade den perfekta rytmen i högläsningen. Extremt nischad kritik men ja, jag bryr mig om sånt. Men överlag, supermysig och något jag definitivt kommer läsa om för mina framtida barn om de kommer någon gång.

[huhharry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final little bit of Moominvalley that we ever got from Tove Jansson, and what an odd last glimpse it is! It feels like a send-off: every character we’ve seen over the books appear, sometime, in the pages, whether they speak or not. It feels like a good bye.

I also love how Jansson just completely retconned her own designs for Bob and Thingumy. I actually order them in this, because they look so odd, but it’s such a funny design change

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellísimo libro infantil que me ha “trasladado” a mi infancia, cuando veía los dibujos de los Moomin. Las ilustraciones de Tove Jansson consiguen trasladarte a ese mundo de fantasía en el que lo más importante es enfrentar los miedos y valorar la compañía de los personas de las personas que nos apoyan durante el camino de la vida. Una joyita de la literatura infantil 💜

P.D: Encuentro referencias a “Alicia en el país de las maravillas”, cosa que me encanta.

[Jinnie Stork · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roligt äventyr men inte en revolutionerande historia, och rimmen är lite nödiga ibland. Bilderna är fantastiska!

[Sofie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When adventure comes your way
Enjoy it. Let it go.”

[kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

krista kosonen luki tän mulle lääh puuh

[colagatji · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wyglądasz jak idiotka z bajki obrazkowej." Mała Mi

XDDDDDDDDDDDDD

chciałabym wierzyć, że tak brzmi to zdanie w oryginale
ale ten przekład trąci myszką

[Teipu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a bit creepy so it might not be suited for children that scare easily. Also the illistrations are a bit less light-hearted and more abstract. But it's a great story and I love Vifsla and Tofsla.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEMULEN said, 'Susanna, hi!' Susanna said, 'I guess
You're rushing to a party, and it must be fancy dress:
"No, no, said HEMULEN. In fact, we always look like this.
We're on our way to see a friend whose house is hard to miss.
We've missed it, though, which rather grates - Missed berry-picking too.'
'Poff scancakes,' squealed his near-twin mates.
What did they mean? Who knew?

[Kuu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was very short and lacked much of an explanation for anything, and I didn't enjoy it as much as the general moomin books, but it was nice enough of a short read and Jansson's art made the book nice to read even without much of a plot and even while barely, if at all, featuring the moomin characters.

[a ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i almost missed snorkmaiden bc she was hidden beneath the lilac bush...

[Jvermeersch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik kan niet zeggen dat ik wild was van deze. De illustraties waren vaal, lelijke kleurcontrasten, en broeierig onheilspellende sfeer voor nochtans een kinderboek. Het verhaal begon met een veelbelovende start, maar bleef dan de hele tijd angstaanjagend tot er plots één pagina feest was en dan één pagina ter afronding. En ik heb geen emotionele band met de personages noch kende hen, waardoor het me eigenlijk niets deed. Beste element was misschien nog de rijmende tekst; hoewel ook dat deels irritant was door het spraakgebrek van sommigen.

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

More moomin baby hell yea

[Sanna lukee lapselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olisi ollut ihana lukea tätä useammin, mutta lapsi ei innostunut ihan yhtä paljon kuin minä. Osa kuvituksesta oli ehkä liian synkkää ja vähän pelottavaakin. Tarina on Liisa ihmemaassa -henkinen, kun Sanna-tyttö löytää maasta uudet silmälasit ja näkee niiden läpi uudenlaisen, jännittävän maailman. Rakastan riimittelyä, kuvitusta ja vähän kaikkea tässä. Luetaan varmasti joskus uudelleen.

[A.E. Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine verse-based accompaniment to Comet in Moominland, with gorgeous illustrations. Short and amusing and full, for such a tiny thing, of so much wonderful adventure. Oh, this makes me very happy.

[Cilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I acually listened to a recording of Tove Jansson reading this, it was amazing!
I love the story and I hope to loose my own glasses and stumble into Moominvalley! ^-^

[Emily]

Three words: cot Hong stroffee