Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
With Ilustrations by Lauren Child
Viking’s 2007 edition of
Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren, features a new translation and illustrations by Lauren Child. First published in Sweden in 1945 and in the United States in 1950, at a time when little girls in books tended to be neat, obedient, and quiet, the larger-than-life Pippi Longstocking came as an unwelcome shock to some parents and a breath of fresh air to others.
Pippi Longstocking: The Story
This classic novel for children features a heroine who is super-strong, independent, and lives just as she pleases. Although 9-year-old Pippi is all alone, Lindgren makes it clear that she is to be envied, not pitied.
She had no mother or father, which was actually quite nice, because it meant that no one could tell her that she had to go to bed just when she was having the most fun.
Her amusing antics are a source of shock and interest to the inhabitants of the tiny Swedish town where she lives, particularly to the children who live next door.
This edition of
Pippi Longstocking is enlivened by the quirky mixed media collages of British author and illustrator Lauren Child, who has created some feisty female characters of her own, most notably Clarice Bean.
Pippi Longstocking: Author Astrid Lindgren
The 2007 edition of
Pippi Longstocking marks the 100th anniversary of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren’s birth. Lindgren's first book was published in 1944, but it was her second book,
Pippi Longstocking, that brought her international acclaim. Since the book was originally published in Swedish, it has been translated into 91 other languages. In 1958, Lindgren received the most prestigious international award in children's literature, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, in recognition of the impact of her body of work on children's literature.
