Finland is the home country of  Moomins because they were created by Finnish Tove Jansson (1914-2001). Tove Jansson spent almost 30 summers on the very small island of Klovharu (or shortly Haru) in Pellinki. Fishing Tours Bo and Tua Uddström organizes (by reservation) treks to Tove Jansson's home island from Emäsalo (Porvoo region). More details at http://www.ark.fi/index_eng_article.php?id=38.

Tove Jansson began wrote her first Moomin book in 1939 (published in 1945). Her books are compared to the work of Lewis Carroll and J.R. Tolkien. Nowadays her books are translated into more than 30 languages (comic strips into more than 60 languages). Tove Jansson draw a comic (cartoon) strip Moomin for the Evening News (London) in 1953-1968.

The international Moomin boom came in 2 waves. First in the 1950's in the West and then in 1960's and 1970's in the East (Japan etc.). First Moomin films were made in 1969-1972 in Japan by Mushi Pro / Tokyo Movie Shinshu / Zuiyo / Fuji TV (65 episodes).

The puppet Moomin stories (the only one out of the 4 television series based on Tove Jansson's book that isn't made in Japan) was made in Austria, Poland (Film Polski) etc. in 1979-1980's. It was a creation of an Austrian studio named Jupiter Film. It was shown on BBC2 etc. in the early 1980's. Nowadays this series is available on DVD. Details at http://www.themoomins.com, http://www.themoomins.com/film/puppentrick.php?l=e and http://www.petitiononline.com/moomins/petition.html .

In the beginning of 1990's Moomin films were made by Telescreen Benelux (Dennis Livson), TV Tokyo and Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE (directed by Japanese Hiroshi Saito and Masayuki Ojima, quality inspected by Tove and Lars Jansson, 78 episodes). More details about Japanese Moomin series at http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2006 .

Moomin World (Moomin theme park especially for children, the world's 4th best theme park for children according to The Independent on Sunday) lies in Naantali near Turku in Finland. We recommend accommodation in Spa Hotel Caribia in Turku (one of the best spa hotels in Finland, a good kid's pool, http://www.caribia.fi).

Moomin Valley (Moomin museum) is situated in Tampere Finland. In Moominvalley museum you see original illustrations by Tove Jansson, 40 miniatures and tableaux about events in Moomin books and a small (2,5 meters high) Moomin House. You see also the original Moominvalley multimedia and you may visit the Moominvalley shop which sells gift items and Moomin books in different languages.

A moomin gift shop named Moomin Shop is in Helsinki (at Kämp Galleria, address Pohjoisesplanadi 33).

Even President Tarja Halonen's husband wears a tie with Moomin characters - also in his official portrait!

Moomin links:

Moomin World in Naantali (Moomin Theme Park): http://www.muumimaailma.fi

Photos (by Harriet857) from Moomin World in Naantali: http://groups.msn.com/FinlandTravelClub/moomins1.msnw

Postcard photos from Naantali Moomin World: http://www.vintola.fi/uk/paasivuuk.htm

The World of the Moomins does everyone good: http://www.publiscan.fi/bl04e-1.htm  

Moomin Valley in Tampere (Moomin museum): http://inter9.tampere.fi/muumilaakso/index.php?lang=en

Virtual Finland - Tove Jansson: http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/jansson.html

Moomin Characters: http://www.moomin.fi

Moomin Voices: http://www.moominvoices.com

Happy Moomin Links: http://www.hut.fi/~jnybergh/english/moomin.html

Pegasos - Tove Jansson: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/tjansson.htm

Moomin page by Johannes Martinus Stienen: http://www.stienen.nl/john

Moomin downloads (Moomin icons etc.): http://www.stack.nl/~muumi/downloads

Links to the Moomins: http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/tove_links.html

Moomin Links: http://www.kolumbus.fi/tero.jyrinki/MP/muumi.html

Moomin pictures by Tove Jansson: http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/ill/Moomin/content.html

Moomin Shop: http://www.moominshop.com

Moomin Trove: http://www.moomintrove.com

Open Here Moomin links: http://www.openhere.com/arts/literature/childrens-literature/childrens-series-books/moomintroll/

Here is Moomin: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/5435/comics/moomin.html

The Moomins: http://www.themoomins.com

Unofficial Moomin Character Guide: http://www.geocities.com/lindashippert/moomin/moominnf.html

Play badminton with Moomins: http://www.norskstrek.no/demo/badminton/badminton.html

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A639010

The Official Moomin Page of Japan: http://www.moomin.co.jp