"The world is full of great and wonderful things for those who are ready for them"
- Moominpappa at Sea

This is a fantastic story based on the childhood of Tove Jansson and her summer trips to the islands with no address [the author note at the end delves into this further].

Filled with fantastic illustrations [that perfectly match what is happening in the story], adventure and love of home [even when that home is just for the summer], this was just delightful from beginning to end and kids and adults alike will love revisiting the magic o this book over and over.

Very well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Soloy, and Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“For all the brave hearts who aren’t afraid to get a little uncomfortable, and for those of us who are, but are trying to do better.”

That’s the dedication in “Tove and the Island with No Address,” and it fits it so well.

Knowing this was a book inspired by and dedicated to Tove Jansson, I felt both curious and nervous, expecting a good story and hoping not to be disappointed.

I wasn’t. On the contrary, I was very pleasantly surprised by discovering a story that tells so much about this beloved author, but also about what it is to be a child, filling the world around with things real and imaginary.

The illustrations are gorgeous and sweet and the story feels like a warm hug, albeit after a very cold storm.

This is a book I picture myself reading and reading in answer to young listeners' requests.

A truly lovely book.

Delightful. A story about being the brave and the protected, the wild and the refuge all at the same time. An adventure that ends, as it always should, in home.

When I was a child, I received a Moomin book through the RIF program. It was a little above my reading level, but I found the story fascinating. As an adult, I remembered this story and was excited to find a collection of her Moomin cartoons later. I've started to see more signs of Moomins in the U.S. and reprints of Tove's books. So when I was that Tove and the Island with No Address was available on NetGalley, I happily requested it. Author and illustrator Lauren Solay did an excellent job of creating an imaginary day on the island where Tove's family summered. She has deftly mixed imagination and reality and the result was charming. Her illustrations helped create just the right mood and tone for the story. There were no moomins in the story, but some interesting imaginary friends that seem likely predecessors of the Moomins. There is also information give on Tove's life beyond her famous creations and I appreciated that. I will definitely look up other books by Lauren Solay. Tove and the Island with No Address is a great book for her fans and a lovely introduction for those that haven't met her yet. I would say the book is best suited to older children that can possibly read it by themselves.

My kindergartener and I have been working our way through the Moomin chapter books and when I saw Tove and the Island With No Address by Lauren Soloy, I knew I had to read it. Thank you to Net Galley for an e-ARC to review with my kids.

This picture book blends non-fiction (a snippet of Tove's early life) with fantasy fiction (a glimpse of the curious stories Tove imagined and later became stories she wrote). Here we find Tove on an island where her family frequented. Because the island was so remote Tove's imagination soared during her island exploration. We meet a curious creature and his daughters and while on a walk the small creatures are blown away. Tove races to rescue her friends and we learn a bit more about the island in her search.

The illustrations in this tale are stunning and very reminiscent of Tove's style. The color palette is in mostly muted which is a welcome departure from most children's books. It gives a calming feel that makes this book perfect for bedtime reading again and again.

Lauren Soloy is such a talented illustrator and I love how she has been bringing historical people to kids and their adult readers. This reminded me so much of the fun my kids had exploring a small island where my sister had a cottage. This will resonate with children who love to imagine and explore.

A short picture book recalling a semi-fantastical episode of Tove Jansson's childhood. Beautifully illustrated but not much happening by means of plot.

This story showed a slice of writer Tove Jansson's childhood on a small island. It was dark in the color palette, but an entertaining story.

For fans of whimsy and myth, Tove and the Island With No Address is a unique addition. Featuring a moody color palette and a gorgeous island storm, this book follows young Tove on a lonely island as she explores and faces an unexpected challenge.

Tove is tasked with caring for a grumpy friend’s fickle children, but the island winds sweep up the children into the air and Tove must save them. It’s a mischievous tale! The illustrations really make the book, pulling you into the island and making you shiver…

I won’t deny that this was definitely the oddest picture book I’ve ever read. The story is strange, and the lesson unclear. However, for an atmospheric, strange read perfect for a stormy night, I can recommend Tove and the Island With No Address.

Tove and the Island with No Address is an atmospheric picture book encapsulating the childhood summers of Tove Jansson. Soloy does a great job transporting the reader to a Scandinavian island where we follow Tove on an adventure full of the mysticism and heart you'll find in any Moomin story. The illustrations add depth to the story with their rich textures and earthy tones. This story honors Jansson's legacy and is a great read for all ages.

Thanks to Tundra books and NetGalley for the ARC in trade for an honest review.

This book is so interesting and whimsical. Lauren Soloy wrote this book to pay homage to the celebrated author, Tove Jansson wrote the series The Moomins book series. This book follows young Tove and her family to the island they visit every year. Tove loves to explore and visit her little friend who lives in the grotto.
I love Lauren Soloys writing, it's so fun and imaginative, as are her illustrations. The illustrations are always so beautiful and I really like how she uses darker, richer colours to bring her stories to life. This whole book is fantastic, it's full of wonder and adventure. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

This cute picture book takes the childhood of Tove Janson, author of the Moominbooks, and weaves a story of what might have happened to her.

This book is based on some of the stories of her childhood that she wrote about in her autobiography.

In this story, the child, Trove, goes to the island that her family goes to every summer, and meets the magical creatures that live there.

It is very real, as stories are, and sweet. Trove takes the little children of a troll like creature that lives in a grotto on the island, and then loses them,they are so small they fly away with the wind, and she must find them again.

Cute, quick story, full of wonder, as we explore the island with Tove, as she tries to find the missing children.

Lovely illustrations. Not quite Moomin like, although her creature sort of looks like the Ancestor.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 22nd of October 2024.

Fantastical and odd, just like Tove Jansson's creations, this book is about young Tove's family holiday to a stormy island. Tove leaves the cottage's copzy, hygge warmth to reunite with an old friend and go on a wind-torn adventure..

I'm a fan of Lauren Soloy's previous work, and her signature colour palette (warm browns, neutrals, greens and pops of red) aids this stormy story. Bleak yet also warm, with a sense of humour and a recognizeable Jansson spirit. I'd recommend this to any young fans of Tove Jansson,

A charming picture book about Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins (among other wonderful things), and her adventure as a little girl on an island holiday.

The illustrations are lovely and full of character. And the small story gives us a great insight into how adventurous Tova was even as a small girl, plunging out explore her small island, using her imagination to populate it, and finding beauty and excitement in finding salvage… and losing it.

A wonderful addition to the literature about this unique writer and artist, and a great introduction for small children.

This story was an absolute delight! I loved that the story told of another's start to stories. I hadn't heard of this author before and was delighted by the tale.

Imagine spending every summer on an island with address. Imagine what else you could do with no structure to hold you back. This homage to storyteller Tove Jansson takes us on a wildly beautiful adventure through the eyes of young Tove. A book worth reading again and again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this DRC.
#ToveandtheIslandwithNoAddress #NetGalley

I just read a different book about Tove Jansson. She was a remarkable woman who lived life the way she wanted, creating works of art and enjoying nature her whole life. She likely developed some of her personality due to her upbringing, as her parents were also artists who loved nature.
This gorgeous picture book tells a whimsical, fictional tale of Tove's early life that captures all those ideas. Tove had a great imagination, and she probably had adventures like that. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this