PIPPI GOES ON BOARD
illustrated by Louis S. Glanzman & by Astrid Lindgren & translated by Florence Lamborn
Sweden's small fry Paul Bunyan, feminine gender, continues her miraculous adventures as enfant terrible and again leads her friends, Tommy and Annika (whom we met in Pippi Longstocking, back in 1950) down the primrose path. Part of the magic of her tales lies in the enchantment of reading about other children doing the things one would not dare to do, but this time Pippi decides to rise an hour early to practise good manners. Then her father appears unexpectedly to take her with him on his boat, but at the last moment Pippi demurs and begs to stay with her friends. Somehow this doesn't quite come off. One has the same sense of anti-climax that one did in the disappointing sequel to the imperishable .