Tove Jansson's moomin characters appeared for the first time during the 1930's, but it was the war that gave birth to her first novel. "Colours had died, everything became grey" Jansson described her feelings as the war raged on. To overcome the anxiety she set about writing a story that would remind her about the happiness and security of the childhood. The Little Trolls and the Great Flood was published in 1945, which marked the beginning of a series of Moomin books. Tove Jansson was a painter, but during her varied career she scribed novels and short stories for adults, wrote theatre and radio plays, created stage settings and picture books. But it was the Moomins who gave her worldwide fame.

Moominvalley, Tampere