Pippi Won’t Grow Up. Astrid Lindren. Illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman. Translated by Tiina Nunnally. Montreal, PQ: Drawn & Quarterly, 2014. 56 pp., hardcover, $14.95. ISBN 978-1-77046-168-0. Subject Heading: Graphic novels. Grades 2-7 / Ages 7-12. Review by Meredith Cleversey. **** /4

excerpt:

“Are you crazy? You’re letting your children go to the South Seas with Pippi Longstocking?”

“It’s okay. Pippi may act a bit strange, but she’s the nicest child in the world.”

Pippi Longstocking, the world’s strongest girl, is ready to be introduced to the next generation with this newly released series of classic comics written by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman, and translated by Tiina Nunnally. In this compilation of short comics, Pippi plays with her friends, Tommy and Annika. She cleverly tricks adults, visits her friends while they are sick, and takes Tommy and Annika on a trip to the South Seas. Pippi’s physical strength is also on display as she carries a horse, throws a wild boar up a tree, and saves her father when he falls overboard.

Pippi Won’t Grow Up includes text and illustrations from 1957 1959, lovingly restored and collected in a new hardbound book. The stories are undeniably quirky, Pippi’s antics odd and oftentimes unexpected. This can be particularly seen in certain stories, such as ‘Pippi Plays the Guessing Game’. In this comic, Pippi attends school with Tommy and Annika and disrupts the classroom by giving unusual answers to the teacher’s endless questions. When the teacher asks Tommy how many inches are in a yard, for instance, Tommy replies that there are thirty six. Pippi then immediately chimes in, saying “That’s what you think! In bad years there are only twenty”, confusing the teacher and delighting the other students.

The original illustrations are fun and eye catching, the cartoons full of bright shades of yellow, blue, green, and red. And, of course, Pippi’s fiery orange hair! The panels are arranged in a simple, easy to follow block design, making this a good choice for readers new to the comic book style. At the beginning and end of the collection, some of the illustrations have also been presented in full page format, showcasing specific moments of the stories, such as when Tommy falls from a cliff into shark infested waters.

     For readers unfamiliar with the tales of Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Won’t Grow Up is an enjoyable and certainly offbeat way to get to know this strong, spirited heroine. And for those who are already fans of Pippi’s adventures, this is a well crafted edition of some favourite Pippi tales.

Highly Recommended.

Meredith Cleversey is a librarian in Cambridge, ON. She loves to read, write, and live in a world of pure imagination.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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Updated: October 17, 2014 (hsd)