Pippi in the South Seas

With Pippi in the South Seas, we have finished reading Pippi. We have to watch the dvds we have in Swedish, and that should be fun. We really enjoyed them.

The Story: Pippi's father wants her to join him on Kurrekurredutt Island, in the South Seas, where he is King. Pippi somehow manages to convince Tommy and Annika's parents that they should come along, and the adventures begin. On the island, Pippi and her friends meet the native children, and have some wonderful fun, including wrestling with sharks, and getting rid of unwanted visitors. In the end, they return to the little town in Sweden, and Villa Villekulla, but the adventure will stay with them forever. And who knows, they may even go back sometime!

The Good: This story is the longer version of the story in a short Swedish-language Pippi picture book I've been reading to the kids for a couple of years now, so it was fun to read it in its entirety. Pippi is as delightful as ever, and the Christmas she arranged for Tommy and Annika upon their return to Villa Villekulla is heartwarming. Evalina was able to read large chunks of it on her own, and really has fun with Pippi. She often wants "Pippi braids" in her own hair, though it is blonde, not red. I am so pleased to have introduced such a vibrant character into her life.

The Bad: Well, Pippi is again naughty and disregards rules and normal standards for safe behavior. It is difficult to explain that Pippi can get away with such things because she is Pippi, but Evalina didn't do too much emulation. Yet. Sometimes, it was a bit hard for me to get into the writing style, as the target audience seems quite a bit younger than some of the other books we have read.

The Verdict: You just can't go wrong with Pippi. She's got a magical quality about her, and I loved reading the books to Evalina. I can't wait to watch the Swedish-language dvds!