Sunday 30 March 2014

Sailing to the South Seas with Pippi Longstocking

I always like to think that I'm a bit like Joanna Lumley: it was a childhood book about a little penguin who wanted to see the Northern Lights that made her long to visit Norway and see them for herself.
For me, it was reading Pippi Longstocking in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren one rainy day in the school library that made me wish I could sail south to those mysterious islands in the sun.
Of course, I took the book with me, and found the world of friendly people, white coral beaches, black pearls, and tropical rainstorms that I had longed for: the endless Pacific Ocean, tiny green islands surrounded by impossible blue coral reefs, hermit crabs in miniscule red-spotted shells and fish of all shapes and sizes.
All because of a book in the library on a rainy afternoon.
Have you ever been drawn to a place by a favourite childhood book?

4 comments:

  1. White coral beaches and little green islands sounds like paradise! I used to love the Worst Witch books and remember thinking it would be great to go to a school which was basically a castle, and fly around on a broomstick, but sadly had to just travel to such places in my imagination!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harry Potter did, didn't he? But again, it was just in a book!

      Delete
  2. Lovely post, Jean - I always fancied the Famous Five settings, especially if on an island in the UK and I still love such islands.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Although I've never been to Scotland(!), I've seen many of your wonderful islands on the TV. However, if you do make it down south one summer, Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, is said to be one of Enid Blyton's locations. It's a great place for adventures for anyone, of any age!

      Delete