Karlsson on the Roof
By Astrid Lindgren and Ilon Wikland
In a perfectly ordinary building, on a perfectly ordinary street in town lives Smidge. Up on the roof, in a small house behind the big chimney, resides a gentleman by the name of Karlsson. He is, in his own words, a handsome, thoroughly clever, perfectly plump man in his prime. Attached to his back he has a small propeller with which he can fly… He decides to come in to land at Little Brother’s. And from then on nothing is the same.
Karlsson does whatever Karlsson wants – eats all the sweets by himself, always chooses the largest slice of cake and enjoys trickelytricking and tirritating people. He’s convinced that he’s best at everything and is not shy to tell everyone so. He loves getting presents and getting up to all sorts of shenanigans – and if something breaks or disappears, well then they’re just material things and are nothing to be sour about anyway. Little Brother loves Karlsson but Mum, Dad and the older siblings insist he’s make-believe. “They can be make-believe themselves!”, Karlsson snorts.
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Anna Svenman
Nordic Retail Manager
Written by Astrid Lindgren
Illustrated by Ilon Wikland
7 Million Copies
sold
3 Chapter Books
41 Languages
translated to
In Place #65
on BBC’s 100 Greatest Children’s Books of All Time
About Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) is Sweden’s most beloved and well-known author, and her works bring joy to children and adults worldwide. Her contributions are unique and significant and cannot be overstated. She was a committed humanist, and fought for children’s rights, equality, and animal welfare – but it’s as a writer of children’s books that she is most known.
Astrid wrote 34 chapter books and 41 picture books in total that all together have sold around 200 million copies and have been translated into more than 100 languages.
About Ilon Wikland
Ilon Wikland is one of Sweden’s most popular illustrators of children’s books. Strangely enough, Wikland is rather unknown to the general public, despite the fact that she illustrated the beloved figures in the majority of Astrid Lindgren’s most-read books. Ilon Wikland is a versatile artist whose pictures span a wide range, from the safe idyll on Troublemaker Street to the breathtaking black depths at the Karma Falls in The Brothers Lionheart.
Wikland came as a refugee to Sweden from Estonia during the Second World War and was later trained at the art school Konstfack in Stockholm. In addition to Astrid Lindgren’s books, she has also illustrated many other authors’ works, including Edith Unnerstad’s children’s books, as well as written and illustrated her own children’s books.
Ilon Wikland has been awarded awards, prizes and other honors for her artistry and collective output. But the road to success was long and sometimes very dramatic.
– Karlsson about himself, from Karlsson on the Roof“I’m a handsome, thoroughly clever, perfectly plump man in my prime.”
Astrid Lindgren’s World
Astrid Lindgren’s World is a theme park located in Vimmerby, Sweden, attracting over 500,000 visitors each year. It is a place where the beloved characters created by Astrid Lindgren and brought to life by Ilon Wikland come to life. This park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Sweden. Additionally, the Astrid Lindgren Store offers a wide variety of products featuring Karlsson on the Roof and other iconic characters.
