What would Tove Jansson (1914 – 2001), the inventor of Moomins, think of all the merchandise based on her work? The Moomin machine is making millions according to a shop assistant in Ballantynes where I was perusing the Moomin china display last week.

There’s a Moomin World in Japan – and now one in Finland, plus a Moomin Museum. I’ve heard Moomins are even making inroads into China. The latest merch (according to my regular Moomin fanletter) is the soaps at Lush. Rather than rage against the machine, I chose to succumb to its charms.

The soap Moomins reclining on a bath bomb cloud are great for scenting my sock drawer (note the Moomin socks – and others from Scandinavia). The Snufkin gummy soap gets a bit out of control in the shower. It is hard to hang on to and tends to ricochet off the walls and bounce across the tile floor which makes shower time fun. Luckily, the green slime does not stain the tiles. This soap is based on the reclusive and independent character Snufkin. It’s a long way from the author’s original vision for these characters which she feared were taking precedence over her ‘serious’ art work. Little did she know how much! However, the popularity of Moomins has revived interest in her murals, novels, short stories, political cartoons and her life in general.