Tove and the Island with No Address

K-Gr 3–A small adventure inspired by the life and childhood of Tove Jansson, who created the Moomin books. Tove’s family lives on an island every summer. Few others live there, but Tove, with yellow hair and white skin, has no trouble finding things to do. On her first morning, she heads out early to see what the sea has washed up on the shore, but first goes to visit her secret friend, a creature living in a rock cave with five seashell-sized daughters. They don’t have much in common, but that doesn’t get in the way of their friendship. As a gift to the harried father, Tove takes the tiny girls with her on her walk, safe in her pocket. When the weather turns stormy and the wind picks up, Tove takes the girls out to check on them. Whoosh, a gust of wind blows them away. She follows the sounds of their laughter as the wind blows them to the skeleton tree in the last bay. After restoring the feisty children to their father, Tove makes her way home where family, warmth, love, and pancakes await her. The palette of Soloy’s atmospheric illustrations, inspired in part by Jansson’s works, features yellows, greens, reds, and browns. She deftly portrays the emotions of both humans and creatures while the island and the storm are characters in their own right. A mix of full- and half-page spreads with light and dark aspects keeps the story balanced and flowing. Back matter includes an afterword on Jansson’s life.