Do we like them?

Do we like Moomintroll?

A character from The Moomins books (starting with The Moomins and the Great Flood) (1945)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Kind, loyal and endlessly curious. He sometimes sulks or panics, but he means well and learns from it. We'd happily back him.

Moomintroll is the central character of Tove Jansson's Moomin books. He's a round, white troll-like creature who lives with his Mamma and Pappa in cosy, quirky Moominvalley. His friends include Snufkin, Sniff, the Snork Maiden and Little My. The books are gentle, funny and sometimes melancholy adventures about friendship, home and change. Moomintroll first appeared in The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945. Finn Family Moomintroll made the series an international success.

He is curious and excitable, and he tries hard to behave well, though he often lands in trouble. He relies on his family and friends, but the series shows him growing more confident and self-reliant as he gets older. Readers sometimes read him as a self-portrait of Jansson. He can be anxious or jealous, but he's warm, honest and loyal.

We score him a 9. He has no malice in him. He's a good friend who welcomes everyone and meets the strange and the scary with wonder. His flaws are small and human, and they're what make him lovable rather than a flawless hero.