A fabulous activity book with over 100 stickers
Moominvalley is a new television animation based on Tove Jansson’s classic stories. It stars the same characters, from the Moomin family themselves to their friends like Snufkin and Little My, and the creatures of the valley such as the ghostly hattifatteners. The Moomins take the time to appreciate the simple things in life. They spend lots of time outdoors in the woods and near the sea.
This is very gentle as activity books go. Some activities, like filling a page with Hattifatteners, are designed to promote mindfulness while others raise a smile. The Moomin’s love of nature is promoted to the reader, with many pages that encourage the reader to reflect on time spent outside. There are also more standard activities such as dot-to-dots and colouring in pages, as well as spreads that encourage creativity and imagination. The focus on mindfulness and reflection makes Moominvalley: The Activity Book perfect for the end of the day.
Some of the copying and spotting activities might be better enjoyed by children aged eight or over. However, the creative prompts, such as imagining what might be found under the sea, could be enjoyed by a wider audience. This makes the book a great choice for families to share. I would happily recommend it to adults too. Moomins, after all, have been around for a very long time.
The images from the new animation don’t feel out of keeping with the original books and references to the programme didn’t feel heavily pushed. The introductory paragraphs to some of the activities hint at what happens in tales from the first stories, but it is possible to enjoy the book without taking any interest in the programme.
The drawing and copying activities have become my wind-down activity of choice as I stay indoors to fight the COVID-19 virus. Moomins never fail to make me smile and the activities offer a little bit of calm to look forward to every day.
- Moominvalley: The Activity Book is out now, published by Macmillan Children’s Books. RRP £8.99. (Received for review).
