The Moomins and the Great Flood

*At last they came to a small valley, that was more beautiful than any they had seen that day. And there, in the midst of the meadow, stood a house that almost looked like a tall stove, very elegant and painted blue.*

And so Tove Jansson offers us, in her first ever Moomin story, a glimpse of Moominvalley and the iconic Moominhouse – a house where the door will always be open to any stranger who wishes to join the kind and inclusive Moomins.

Published in Finland in 1945, *The Moomins and the Great Flood* follows Moomintroll, Moominmamma and Sniff as they journey through forest and flood searching for long lost Moominpappa and a place to call home. Along the way, in a series of delightful adventures, they encounter Hemulens, stranded kittens and the blue-haired Tulippa.

This special 80th anniversary edition – launching the Moomin 80 anniversary and its slogan ‘The Door is Always Open’ – includes a foreword by children’s laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce; newly discovered notes by Tove Jansson about her Moomin characters; and a stunning cut-out-and-build Moominhouse designed by Tove herself in 1957. The book is a beautiful collectors’ edition, featuring Tove’s original sepia-tint drawings, printed in full colour, with cloth quarter binding. *Thanks to the generosity of Waterstones and Moomin Characters Ltd, Sort of Books will make a donation for every special edition book sold in support of The British Red Cross Society, a registered charity in England & Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430), for all its work in the UK and overseas, including support for refugees and people in need of protection.*