I am currently reading Pippi Longstocking to my kids. What an adorable, humorous, and clever story. How did I miss this book growing up?! Oh wait, I remember now. Because all I knew of Pippi was the freaky low tech dubbed T.V. show. When Pippi Longstocking would finish a sentence her lips would still be moving. Even as a kid, this interfered with my ability to enjoy the storyline.
The original book, written by Astrid Lindgren, was published in 1945 and many more followed. Born of the bed time stories that Astrid Lindgren told her daughter Karin in Sweden, Pippi Longstocking has made her way into the hands of children in over 100 different countries.
Lindgren who died at age 94 in 2002, was a prolific author, editor, proofreader, and animal rights activist. Of her 100 books published, many feature a child main character who is independent, eccentric and some say anarchistic.
Immediately children know that Pippi is different and are in awe of her resourcefulness and confidence. Lindgren's writing expertly conveys kid logic which is universally practiced by children.
Pippi lives alone because her mother died when she was quite young, and her father is lost at sea. On the first page the reader learns, Pippi "had no mother or father; which was quite nice, because it meant that no one could tell her to go to bed just when she was having the most fun. And no one could make her take cod liver oil when she would rather eat candy."
And we thought Sweden's greatest gift to us was meatballs.
2 comments:
hey, jill. give me a call -- my book is out and i'm having a book signing at borders on newport blvd. saturday at 2 p.m.!
Hey Jill,
You have a gift of words and have made me want to read with my kids more. So many of us, me included, watch too much tv or other time wasters, yet a book gives so much more joy. I appreciate the reminders. Take good care.
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