DET OSYNLIGA BARNET. [English equivalent: Tales From Moominvalley].

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author with multiple original drawings. Publisher's original colour illustrated paper-covered boards with blue cloth spine titled in black. Illustrated throughout by the author. Text in Swedish. An near fine copy, the binding firm, bright and fresh with just a little rubbing and bumping to the corners, the spine a touch rolled. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. A lovely copy.

Wonderfully inscribed by Tove Jansson in calligraphic font "Till / Lilla / Anna-Lena / på / 21 Ars dagen! / au Nora / och / Tove Jansson [heart drawing]" underneath which she has penned an original drawing of 'Lilla' [Little My]. The front pastedown is adorned by two further original illustrations; one of Moominpapa standing in front of a giant rose, and the other, in the bottom left corner, is of 'Snusmumrik' [Snufkin]. Whilst we have been unable to ascertain the identity of the recipient it is clear from the inscription and drawing that Anna-Lena, here celebrating her 21st Birthday, at one point bore similarities to, or perhaps might even have been inspiration for, the small, mischievous and fiercely independent 'Lilla'. The character first appeared in the 1950 in 'Muminpappans Bravader Skrivna av Honom Själv' [The Exploits of Moominpappa]. The present volume collects nine Moomin stories, three of which feature Lilla. Comprising 'Vårvisan' [The Spring Tune]; 'En hemsk historia' [A Tale of Horror]; 'Filifjonkan som trodde på katastrofer' [The Fillyjonk Who Believed in Disasters]; 'Historien om den sista draken i världe' [The Last Dragon in the World]; 'Hemulen som älskade tystnad' [The Hemulen Who Loved Silence]; 'Berättelsen om det osynliga barnet' [The Invisible Child]; 'Hatifnattarnas hemlighet' [The Secret of the Hattifatteners]; 'Cedric' [Cedric]; 'Granen' [The Fir Tree].