I remember loving Pippi Longstocking when I was seven or eight years old. I was a rule-follower, but there was something about Pippi’s attitude that absolutely enchanted me. I loved that she slept with her feet on the pillow. I loved that she had a monkey for a pet and threw dishes out of a tree. I loved that she told the teacher exactly what she thought of those math problems with all the apples that came and went so quickly you couldn’t keep track of them.
I still love Pippi, and so I was thrilled to see this new translation of Astrid Lindgren’s story in a big, beautiful, illustrated package from Penguin.
Pippi’s story is the same (happily, no one has gone through to make her more politically correct), and I predict this new translation by Tina Nunnally will be irresistible to young readers. Lauren Child’s illustrations in this oversized hardcover are bright and playful and full of Pippi’s spirit. My six-year-old daughter put a bookmark in this one after breakfast yesterday and said, “I can’t read any more right now. I’m saving the rest.” I understood exactly what she meant. Pippi’s stories are worth saving and worth sharing all over again.