An appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson, creator of the Mumin books adored by children and adults around the world. This book offers new perspectives and a deeper appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson (1914-2001), one of the most original, influential and always appreciated illustrators of the 20th century. Jansson's flourishing Mumin books are examined in detail, as well as her interpretations of such classics as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Hunting of the Snark, and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Born in Helsinki to the Swedish-speaking Finnish minority, Jansson grew up with a passion for art and stories in a supportive family of artists. Her first illustrated stories were published at the age of fourteen. From a year later until 1953, she drew humorous and political cartoons, as well as striking covers for the satirical magazine Garm, in response to World War II and its aftermath, as she moved from art student to painter and muralist, bohemian and lesbian.

This book also explores the emergence of her Mumin world, which appeared in her first children's book in 1945 and then in newspaper strips. This would lead to her being hired by the London Evening News, the world's best-selling evening newspaper, to write and draw a daily cartoon of the Mumin. This work is one of her greatest achievements, expanding her stories, settings and cast, and revitalising her drawing and writing. Jansson also wrote many novels, documented here along with personal commentary on his own writings.

• Pages: 112
• Language: English
• Author: Paul Gravett
• Year: 2022
• MODEL: 9780500094334

Publisher: Phaidon