Page "Tove Jansson" Paragraph 3

Jansson wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood, in 1945, during World War II.

She said later that the war had depressed her and she had wanted to write something naïve and innocent.

This first book was hardly noticed, but the next Moomin books, Comet in Moominland ( 1946 ) and Finn Family Moomintroll ( 1948 ), made her famous.

She went on to write six more Moomin books, a number of picture books and comic strips.

Her fame spread quickly and she became Finland's most widely read author abroad.

In 1966 she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award.