«…I suddenly wanted to write something, starting with the word 'Once upon a time…'. To write, frankly, a fairy tale.»
—Tove Jansson
The presented project is a series of illustrations for the book «Little Trolls and the Great Flood» by Tove Jansson. The illustrations were created using appliqué techniques to convey the childlike curiosity that the main characters—tiny trolls wandering through a large and dangerous world—bring to the story.
The chosen technique adds volume to the illustrations, making the characters even smaller against the backdrop of their environment.
Moomin-trolls are tiny, fuzzy creatures. They are so small that they can easily live behind a stove in apartment buildings. Our characters—the Moomin-troll and his mother—have just left their former home to find another precious family member: Moomin-papa.
The world is vast and not always welcoming. For such small creatures, any danger can be fatal…
The carelessness of the illustrations mimics children’s artwork and symbolizes the hopes and dreams that the heroes carry as they travel the world.
Thanks to the help of kind strangers and the perseverance of the heroes, the family was finally able to reunite. Moreover, they managed to find a new home.
The trolls' journey is drawing to a close. The water has receded, and a beautiful, slender mummy-troll home now stands in this valley—its doors will always be open to guests.
Even though the world is not always comfortable or kind, it is populated by those who are ready to help in times of need.
