Pippi Longstocking

Author: Astrid Lindgren (Sweden)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Astrid Lindgren, a national hero of Sweden, the 94-year-old fairy-tale grandmother. Her entry into the children's literature world in 1945 marked the birth of the century's child—Pippi Longstocking. In 1958, Lindgren received the "Hans Christian Andersen Gold Medal." Her works have been translated into 86 languages and have sold over 130 million copies. If her books were stacked, they would reach 175 Eiffel Towers high, and if placed in a line, they could circle the Earth three times. Through her works, she has left countless childhood companions for children around the world who will never grow up. "The character of Pippi Longstocking, in a sense, liberates children and children's literature from tradition, authority, and moralism. Pippi has become a symbol of free humanity." The door opened, and a peculiar little girl stepped out: Her hair was the color of carrots, with two stiff little braids standing straight up. Her nose was shaped like a small potato, dotted with freckles. Below the nose was a big mouth with neatly white teeth. Her dress was also quite strange—it was sewn by herself. She originally wanted it to be blue, but there wasn’t enough blue fabric, so she had to sew red patches here and there. Her thin, long legs were wearing two socks—one brown and the other black. She wore a pair of black shoes that were exactly twice the size of her feet. She was super strong, capable of lifting a horse, punishing fierce bandits, and effortlessly throwing sharks far away. This extraordinary little girl is—Pippi Longstocking.